Asbestos Related Diseases include:

Malignant Mesothelioma Cancer | Asbestosis  | Asbestos Related Pleural Diseases (ARPD) | Asbestos Related Pleural Plaques | Asbestos Related Lung Cancer

The two core objectives of the Foundation’s MARSupport are to:

Facilitate and empower sufferers, their carers and loved ones, and those bereaved to move forward and live their journey without regret by:

• Providing an asbestos disease support helpline and online information;
• Offering peer-based person to person (phone) emotional support and encouragement from people who have lived a similar (asbestos disease) journey;
• Providing relevant and unbiased up to date information about treatments and care options;
• Honestly answering questions about what to expect from treatments and the relevant disease;
• Referring sufferers to medical and legal professionals who are acknowledged specialists in their field and importantly, who are also thought of as being ethical and holistic;
• Being the voice of reason and advocating on behalf of sufferers, their carers, their loved ones, those bereaved, and allied health and care providers; and
• When feasible, meeting with asbestos related disease sufferers, their carers and loved ones face to face.

Promote awareness and education, and provide information, about mesothelioma asbestos cancer and other asbestos related diseases to the wider community:

• Online website and internet based pages, sites and portals,
• Via public news media outlets (online, print, radio and TV) and social media sites,
• Media and other targeted specific programs; and
• Where practicable, via face to face meetings, seminars, symposiums, etc.

MARSupport is physically active throughout the Australian eastern seaboard and has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the like-minded Reflections Through Reality Foundation, which provides peer-based support and awareness in Western Australia.

The MARSupport Asbestos Disease Helpline  offers peer-based support and information from people who have, importantly, lived the mesothelioma asbestos cancer or other asbestos related diseases (ARD) journey.

For Australians who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos related disease, their carer and bereaved carers, our Asbestos Disease Helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for those who have provided their details and also spoken with the Support Co-ordinator.

For the general public (those not diagnosed or connected as above) the Asbestos Disease Helpline is open during the Foundation’s publicly accessible work hours (Monday – Friday 10.00am to 4.00pm).

Enter Your Details With MARSupport:  As we are often on the road or not in the office when we talk with those we support, providing your details online, either before or after you phone the Asbestos Disease Helpline is a great help to us.  Please be assured your details are not passed onto any other individual or organisation without receiving your permission to do so on an individual needs basis (e.g. when making referrals on your behalf, etc.).  To provide your details online, please [click here].

We do not charge, or place expectation of donations being made for any of our services (however, we gratefully accept donations from those who appreciate the support or services we offer), neither do we have (and never will have) any ‘pay by referral’ or ‘quota’ type relationship with any legal firms, medical specialists, individuals; corporate, union, or government bodies. We do however have relationships with, and recommend people and organisations we believe are specialists at what they do, are holistic and importantly, ethical!

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma asbestos cancer or another asbestos related disease, or are the carer or immediate family member of a sufferer, we may be able to demystify certain aspects for you.

Our experience shows people who have been, or are going through similar circumstances relate strongly with each other.

When you contact the Bernie Banton Foundation about support or information, you will be dealing with someone who has walked the walk. No two journeys are exactly the same, but we have walked a similar path. Having walked this road makes all the difference in being able to help you answer the multitude of questions you may have, and navigate the journey ahead.