Eddie Redder

Eddie "never knew a stranger". He was a warm, kind and friendly man. He was a loving father and brother, a fun grandpa and my greatest cheerleader. Eddie was a hard worker, even in retirement, with a meticulous lawn. He loved music of all genres. We enjoyed travel and expected to do more as I approached retirement. Regarding our marriage, on our last anniversary he said we'd had "41 years of pure bliss", then he laughed, just to get a reaction from me. This memory makes me smile and cry.

Since he had always been healthy, we assumed we had many more years together, until he received his mesothelioma diagnosis in August 2023.

Initially mesothelioma was suspected in November 2022, then ruled out with a biopsy. After his 6-month follow-up appointment mesothelioma was confirmed, again with a biopsy. Eddie lived for 9 months after his diagnosis. Nine months of hospitals, doctor appointments, chemo treatments, scans, bloodwork, attempted palliative radiation, palliative care, therapists, home health care and, eventually 4 days with hospice. Unfortunately, there rarely seemed to be time just to be together.

We were not ready to let him go, and our hearts are still broken. Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer. Eddie never should have died from this disease. Help us ensure that others can be spared this diagnosis or can access the resources to pay for any treatments they need and travel wherever they need to for treatment.

Thank you for your support – Jill