Mavis was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2009, the result of washing her husband Ray’s dusty work cloths. Fighting the diagnosis with everything she has in her and with the support of her husband, and having endured many gruelling medical procedures and chemo therapies, she continues to do her utmost to educate people about this deadly illness. Appealing successfully to the English parliament for near-death asbestos victims to be admitted to medicine trials prematurely, she went on to become a participant at a trial for immunotherapy herself. After two year on the MK3475-28 trial for the drug Keytruda, she has had a ‘full response’. This means, effectively, that there is no trace of mesothelioma left in her body – a wonderful and unique result, inspiring hope that research for a cure is on the right path.
A global ‘Meso Warrior’, she has become an experienced speaker in parliament and at many conferences and meetings and is also the author of several books, with proceeds going to Mesothelioma UK. Together with Ray, she blogs frequently on living with mesothelioma. See https://rayandmave.wordpress.com. In 2016 she was awarded the British Citizen Award.