ELIZABETH THURBON, whose builder husband Peter died as a result of exposure to asbestos, visited the National Workers Memorial for the first time only a week ago - and was immediately moved.
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''Whoever did this really understands,'' she said.
A key theme of the memorial is the ripple effect - the way an accident or death can reverberate out to different layers of the community, sometimes for years. The memorial recognises this with references to personal stories and lessons learnt that ''remind us of the ripple of effects on communities, families and individuals''.
It also has concentric rings in its design, extending outwards. ''I think the memorial's beautiful,'' Mrs Thurbon said. ''I love the idea of the ripple effect because the ripples do go on for families for years, and maybe for generations, when you lose someone unnecessarily.
''When someone dies naturally, you're upset and you grieve but when someone dies unnecessarily … there's a degree of anger there and of injustice. It's a heavy layer on top of the grief.''
Mr Thurbon was 54 when he died as a result of mesothelioma in 2003. He was exposed to asbestos while building houses in Canberra in the 1960s, working for James Hardie. He was diagnosed in December, 1999 and he fought to live; he wanted to see his grandchildren born, but never did.
''I remember being at the hospital when my first grandchild was born and looking up to the sky and thinking, 'Why aren't you here?''' Mrs Thurbon said.
Mr Thurbon was fit - ''he used to ride his bike up Red Hill standing up'' - but could only fight for so long. ''To watch him waste away before your eyes and struggle for breath … it was heartbreaking.''
Mrs Thurbon, of Narrabundah, now has three grandchildren. The legacy of that deadly exposure to their grandfather is something the children have to live with too.
''The five-year-old and the eight-year-old do understand, and they know who their grandfather was,'' she said.
''The five-year-old, he actually talks a lot about his grandfather: 'if grandfather Peter was here, he would play with me,' '' she said.