{"id":23367,"date":"2024-12-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/?p=23367"},"modified":"2025-10-16T13:37:27","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T17:37:27","slug":"mesothelioma-survivor-mary-jane-williams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mesotheliomahope.com\/blog\/mesothelioma-survivor-mary-jane-williams\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembering 15-Year Mesothelioma Survivor and Mentor Mary Jane Williams"},"content":{"rendered":"

For over a decade, Mary Jane battled cancer and supported other patients through their treatment journey, refusing to let mesothelioma define her story.<\/em><\/p>\n

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In 2003, Mary Jane Williams \u2014 an Ohio wife, mother, and grandmother \u2014 was diagnosed with mesothelioma<\/a>, a rare and aggressive cancer caused by asbestos.<\/p>\n

While the diagnosis was life-changing, she felt relieved to finally have an explanation for her symptoms and decided that this cancer would not beat her.<\/p>\n

Mary Jane lived a full life with mesothelioma until complications from progressive Alzheimer\u2019s disease took her life in 2018. Today, we keep her mesothelioma survivor story forever in our memory.<\/p>\n

Missed Signs, Misdiagnosis, and a Turning Point<\/h2>\n

Mary Jane spent a year struggling to pinpoint the reason behind her abdominal bloating, weight loss, and other disruptive symptoms<\/a>. Seeking answers, she visited several doctors only to leave each appointment without clarity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI kept thinking people are going to think that I\u2019m a hypochondriac, but it got to the point where I couldn\u2019t stand up straight. It was as if my insides were glued<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She was misdiagnosed<\/a> with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and prescribed medication, but her symptoms didn\u2019t improve. When doctors decided to look at her gallbladder, they told her that it wasn\u2019t functioning normally and would need to be removed.<\/p>\n

During gallbladder surgery, doctors discovered she had peritoneal mesothelioma<\/a>, which develops in the abdominal lining and can spread to other parts of the digestive system.<\/p>\n

When Mary Jane\u2019s doctors told her mesothelioma was caused by asbestos, she couldn\u2019t remember where she was exposed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could have been anywhere,\u201d she said, recalling her husband Loring\u2019s work at a flooring company<\/a> that used asbestos tiles and the home renovations they tackled as a couple.<\/p>\n

Get our Free Survivors Guide<\/strong> to learn how other mesothelioma patients uncovered the source of their asbestos exposure and fought for a correct diagnosis.<\/p>\n

Finding the Right Specialist<\/h2>\n

After her diagnosis, Mary Jane was overwhelmed by the grim news about mesothelioma, including an average life expectancy<\/a> of just 8 months. To make matters worse, the first doctor she saw told her she didn\u2019t qualify for treatment.<\/p>\n

But Mary Jane refused to give up. She started searching for experienced mesothelioma specialists who could help her fight the disease.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf your doctor is not a professional and has not lived it and breathed it, get another oncologist. You need someone experienced<\/strong> \u2014 someone who\u2019s going to fight for you and with you.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Mary Jane and Loring traveled extensively to meet with different doctors, eventually finding a mesothelioma specialist<\/a> in New York. After one visit, she felt a weight had lifted when she found the right fit.<\/p>\n