Ahead of Mesothelioma Awareness Day on Sept. 26, Mesothelioma Hope shares a long-term survivor's story and the lessons she hopes other patients and families can take from it
CHESTNUT HILL, MA / ACCESS Newswire / September 23, 2026 / In August 2006, Julie Gundlach was 35 years old with a three-year-old daughter when doctors found peritoneal mesothelioma during surgery for what they had assumed was ovarian cancer. She was given 6 to 12 months to live.
"They told me to get my affairs in order," Gundlach said.
This August, she marked 20 years. Mesothelioma Hope, a leading online resource providing education, patient advocacy, and support for those diagnosed with mesothelioma, has published her account of that milestone ahead of Mesothelioma Awareness Day on September 26 - and she uses it to push back on the shape survivor stories are usually given.
"There's a public perception that a cancer patient has walked through fire and been purified by the experience," Gundlach said. "But that's inaccurate."
What Twenty Years of Survival Looked Like
Gundlach learned that the treatment she needed wasn't available in her home city of St. Louis. She chose New York, a city she'd never visited, and made more than 20 trips there for cytoreductive surgery, with some procedures lasting 8 to 12 hours. One complication left her in a medically induced coma for a month.
Gundlach's cancer has been stable since 2014. Her doctors have never used the words "cancer-free" or "remission" with her; tumor spots remain visible on her scans but haven't grown in over a decade.
She's also been open about the challenges of long-term survival, including lengthy recoveries, chemotherapy-related brain fog, and anxiety before each scan. At diagnosis, she feared her daughter would grow up without remembering her. Instead, she went on to watch her learn to drive, attend prom, and graduate from college.
"That is, without a doubt, a miracle," she said. "Getting to see a life I never thought I'd see."
What Patients and Families Should Know
Roughly 3,000 Americans are diagnosed each year. Because mesothelioma is so rare, patients may encounter providers with limited experience treating the disease. Gundlach was six weeks past diagnosis when she attended a mesothelioma conference to learn what she was facing - and it was there that she found both medical direction and legal representation.
Exposure is often secondhand and can happen at home. Gundlach's father installed electrical systems and came home in asbestos-covered clothes, which went into a laundry room that also served as her childhood playroom. He died of asbestos-related lung cancer shortly before her own diagnosis. "I was overwhelmed with the unfairness of it all," she said.
Asbestos is the only known cause of mesothelioma and remains a concern in the U.S. The 2024 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule addressed ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos but did not eliminate legacy asbestos already present in older homes, schools, workplaces, and other buildings. Gundlach has visited Capitol Hill and collected signatures calling for stronger asbestos protections.
Long-term survival is possible, and patients deserve to know it. No two mesothelioma cases are the same, and survival can vary widely from one person to the next. Stories like Gundlach's can give newly diagnosed patients hope while showing that there may be more possibilities ahead than they initially expected.
Gundlach now takes on something new each year; she is currently learning beekeeping. Her advice to newly diagnosed patients is simple: "Keep the faith and keep putting one foot in front of the other."
How Mesothelioma Hope Supports Patients
Mesothelioma Hope's Patient Advocates are available 24/7 to help patients and families:
- Connect with mesothelioma specialists and leading cancer centers
- Understand surgical, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy options
- Access free educational guides covering treatment, prognosis, and legal options
- Find support groups and financial assistance resources
Julie Gundlach's full story and profiles of other long-term mesothelioma survivors are available at MesotheliomaHope.com.
About Mesothelioma Hope
Mesothelioma Hope is a comprehensive patient support resource dedicated to helping individuals diagnosed with mesothelioma and their families access the information, specialists, and support they need. Through its team of Patient Advocates, the organization provides free guidance on treatment options, clinical trials, financial assistance, and legal resources. Mesothelioma Hope can be reached 24/7 by calling (866) 608-8933 or by visiting www.mesotheliomahope.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Chris Carberg
(855) 346-6101
chris@mesotheliomahope.com
1330 Boylston St, Suite #400, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
SOURCE: Mesothelioma Hope
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/publishing-and-media/twenty-years-after-a-mesothelioma-diagnosis-julie-gundlach-shares-a-story-of-h-1224660
