Former Pro Bowl player, TV actor Merlin Olsen, 69, loses his battle with mesothelioma cancer
Actor and former NFL star Merlin Olsen has passed away following a battle with the asbestos cancer mesothelioma, according to the St. Louis Rams. Olsen was 69 years old and had been diagnosed with mesothelioma in July of last year.
Olsen, who began his NFL with the St. Louis Rams and was voted into the Pro Bowl as a rookie, alleges that a handful of companies, including 20th Century Fox Film Production and NBC Studios, as well as asbestos manufacturer Bondex International Inc. were responsible for his mesothelioma cancer diagnosis. Olsen believes that his contact with asbestos materials dates back to his childhood years, when he would work with asbestos-containing products after school and during the summers. He also stated that he came into contact with workers who had been exposed to asbestos drywall patching compound, and that he may have been exposed secondhand.
Asbestos exposure is the only known cause of mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer that has no cure and is generally unresponsive to palliative treatments like chemotherapy. A survival period of about nine months, like Olsen’s, is not rare, as the majority of patients do not survive beyond two years.
After an illustrious NFL career, Olsen began acting. One of his most well-known roles occurred on Little House on the Prairie, with teen star Melissa Gilbert and legend Michael Landon. He also had a role on the series Father Murphy. Melissa Gilbert shared her sadness following Olsen’s passing via Twitter, saying “My heart go out to his fear family…forever now, a guardian angel.”
Olsen, whose wife, Susan, was also named in the lawsuit, died in Utah at home. He had previously undergone chemo in an attempt to ward off his mesothelioma symptoms. Olsen’s lawsuit is still pending.
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