A woman who lost two partners to a cancer caused by asbestos says they are both still looking after her as spirits.
Avril Gooding-Grant, 51, from Hoo, says her interest in the paranormal grew following the death of her husband Chris in 2001.
Both he and second partner Les Alford were killed by the industrial disease mesothelioma, which manifests itself decades after its victims come into contact with asbestos.
Mrs Gooding-Grant said: “Knowing they are both here with me makes it a lot easier for me to deal with things.
“Chris’ energy is residual, which means he visits me, but I can feel Les’ presence 24 hours a day because he actually lived in the house I’m in now. They’re both a great comfort.
“I used to belong to a spiritualist church in Gillingham and the resident medium did a reading for me a while back. He told me Chris and Les both still loved me and were looking after me.”
Mrs Gooding-Grant says she uses dowsing rods to communicate with her former partners, and has even caught glimpses of them in her flat.
She now has a new man in her life, and admits he finds the situation difficult to deal with.
Mrs Gooding-Grant said: “He doesn’t like to talk about it because he thinks it’s a bit spooky.
“But Chris and Les were two of the most wonderful people you could ever wish to meet, so it doesn’t scare me in the slightest. I love the fact they’re still around and I don’t care if other people don’t believe me.”
Mr Grant came into contact with the killer asbestos dust when working as an electrician more than 40 years ago, while Mr Alford was a lorry driver and mechanic for 30 years.
Mrs Gooding-Grant received £40,000 in compensation following Mr Grant’s death, but says that money has almost run out.
She is still waiting to see if she will receive a payout as a result of Mr Alford’s death, as solicitors are unable to agree on where he may have come into contact with the asbestos.
If ongoing tests conclude he inhaled the harmful particles while working for the long-since bankrupt Fuller Electric Ltd, which is likely, then there will be nobody for Mrs Gooding-Grant to claim a payout from.
She said: “I’m hopeful of receiving good news because the solicitors are still looking into it, and even if it’s bad news I won’t let the issue lie.
“I haven’t got much money and I would be suicidal if I didn’t receive any compensation. I can’t sleep for worrying about it as it is.
“Sometimes I just sit there crying my eyes out because I feel as if someone is trying to pull the wool over my eyes.”
POSTED: 06/10/2008 08:00:00
Bookmark with:
Email to a friend: