After a decades-long career as an auto mechanic, mesothelioma threw a wrench into Art’s retirement — but he wasn’t slowing down just yet.
Finding New Roads Together
Arthur “Art” Putt decided to retire from his career as an auto mechanic to take it easy and spend more time enjoying life. Ready for a new adventure, he packed up his RV and moved from Indiana to Arizona in the summer of 1983.
That’s where he met Jan, a nurse who shared his love for travel. A few months later, Art and Jan married in Las Vegas and hit the road, exploring the U.S. side by side and loving every minute of it.
The couple ended up in Tennessee, taking seasonal contracts at Dollywood, a theme park co-owned by country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Despite suffering a stroke a few days after starting work, Art continued to sell souvenirs and chat with travelers.
“I sold so many souvenir mugs that they wanted me to do nothing but that. There’s nobody ever to this day that’s sold more mugs than I did.”
This “short” stopover turned into over a decade at Dollywood. The Putts settled down in Kodak, Tennessee, and planned to keep living life to the fullest until a devastating diagnosis — mesothelioma — changed everything.
Learn more about Art’s journey and how other patients have coped with their diagnosis in our Free Mesothelioma Survivors Guide.
Hitting a Roadblock
In 2018, Art’s mesothelioma symptoms began with a hacking cough that wouldn’t quit. It got so bad that he had to bring a cup with him at all times to catch the phlegm he was bringing up.
He decided to go to the doctor, who said Art had pneumonia. However, the radiologist wasn’t convinced and ordered additional imaging scans, which revealed pleural mesothelioma, a type of asbestos-caused cancer that forms in the lung lining.
As an auto mechanic, Art had worked with brake pads that released asbestos fibers — a hidden danger that only surfaced decades later because of mesothelioma’s long latency period.
“We did brakes the old-fashioned way. We did a lot of grinding with sandpaper to prepare the brake pads we put in and the new ones. We had dust everywhere. We didn’t know any better.”
Many companies knew asbestos was dangerous for years before the general public did. These corporations kept the dangers a secret to continue making money, and exposed millions of people to asbestos in the process, including mechanics like Art.
After complaining of a cough, Arthur Putt was diagnosed with mesothelioma. He and his wife Jan explain how his diagnosis changed their lives and why they worked with Simmons Hanly Conroy to file a mesothelioma lawsuit. Mesothelioma Hope can help you find top treatments, support, and legal aid right now. Call ((866) 608-8933 to get started. View Transcript.
Duration: 3 min 07 sec
What we do every night is sit together and watch TV. Then at 7, we have our ice cream bar. My name is Jan Putt, and I’m married to Art, who was diagnosed with mesothelioma in April of 2018. Originally, the doctor said he would have possibly 6 months to a year, and that was four years ago. So, I love it—I still have him. I feel sorry for someone who loses a loved one and doesn’t have that time to say what they think or how they feel. We do it every day, and it’s been that way even before this happened.
We did everything together: remodeling our homes and things like that, like his woodworking. We used to go out for long drives, just enjoying the scenery. We’d be gone for four or five hours, but we never got tired of being together. His very early symptoms were just a light, hacky cough, and I couldn’t get him to see the doctor until it got worse. One day, he decided he should go see someone. They did an x-ray and thought he had pneumonia, but the radiologist wasn’t satisfied and wanted more tests. They did some scans, and that was the first time they said he had mesothelioma.
It was kind of good to know there was no cure for it, in a way. From that point on, I was able to make the best out of life. We just stayed positive. I felt lucky to have time to spend quality moments with him, to say what I wanted to say, instead of him being gone suddenly. We cherish every day.
I really wasn’t much of a mechanic at first. I got a job at a service station, where we did a lot of brakes. That was probably our second-busiest task besides tune-ups. We did it the old-fashioned way, and there was dust everywhere. We filed a mesothelioma lawsuit because we had family members who encouraged us to do it. Our daughter in Indiana knew someone who had worked with Simmons Hanly Conroy and had a very good experience.
Taking a Detour for Treatment
When doctors confirmed his mesothelioma diagnosis, they gave Art a prognosis of just 6 months to a year — news that hit Art, Jan, and their children hard. But with his wife’s encouragement, Art decided to fight back.
“I survived mesothelioma because of my wife talking me into getting treatment, which I wasn’t going to do.”
He endured chemotherapy sessions every three weeks, followed by days of recovery due to fatigue and dietary side effects. His doctors were honest about how it seemed to be going: the treatments wouldn’t cure him but might slow down the cancer’s spread.
Unfortunately, adding immunotherapy to Art’s treatment plan worsened his side effects, leaving his throat so irritated that swallowing solid foods became nearly impossible.
Getting Back on the Road to Health With Alternative Treatment
Jan refused to give up on Art’s treatment. She and her daughter leaned on their experience as nurses and began researching alternative mesothelioma treatments to help him.
With Jan’s nursing background, she crafted a nutritious blend of asparagus, beetroot powder, cottage cheese, and oils, fed through a tube twice daily. While not a cure, this new mesothelioma diet helped support Art’s strength and reduce inflammation during treatment. Over time, he regained enough strength to eat solid foods again.
“At one time, doctors told me I’d never eat solid food again, but we showed them wrong.”
Thanks to treatment and the dedication of his wife and daughter, Art beat his original prognosis and is still alive today — more than 8 years after his diagnosis and now considered a long-term mesothelioma survivor.
Nutrition can play an important role during treatment. Download our Free Mesothelioma Nutrition Guide for tips on maintaining strength, managing side effects, and supporting your body.
Taking the Road to Justice
As they navigated their cancer journey, the Putts decided to seek financial compensation through a mesothelioma lawsuit against the companies responsible for Art’s asbestos exposure. Though he initially worried about the stress of a legal fight on top of his illness, a visit from one of his lawyers reassured him and Jan.
Art’s legal team investigated his work history as a mechanic and gathered evidence to prove asbestos exposure from the brake pads he worked with for years. By showing how these products released asbestos fibers during brake repairs, his lawyers were able to hold the manufacturer accountable.
With support from our partner mesothelioma law firm Simmons Hanly Conroy, Art won a $34 million verdict against Ford Motor Company for the asbestos exposure that caused his mesothelioma. This financial security gave him the peace of mind to focus on treatment and create more memories with his family.
“We gave all that money to our kids, paid all their debts, and paid our house off. It made our life easier because we had no financial worries. We still don’t have any financial worries because of it.”
We’re Here to Guide You on the Road Ahead
A mesothelioma diagnosis can be devastating, but Mesothelioma Hope is determined to help more patients become long-term survivors like Art.
By working with our team, you and your family can access:
- Top specialists and treatments
- Trusted medical guidance
- Financial resources
- Support for navigating life with mesothelioma
Contact our Patient Advocates today at (866) 608-8933 or get your Free Mesothelioma Survivors Guide to see how we can help you.
