'Horrible and cruel' disease took 'king' of family

The heartbreaking story of a mother who lost two sons to an abusive husband. And her fight to save countless others.

- ROBERT DALLING

A BEREAVED family have paid tribute to their “king” who died less than a year after being diagnosed with mesothelioma.

The family of Paul Sloots opened up on how his last few months were “horrible and cruel” as a result of the disease, which is an aggressive lung cancer.

The 71-year-old had worked as a burner in the demolition of buildings, and was regularly charged with removing asbestos lagging from pipework.

Mesothelioma is caused by historic exposure to asbestos, and during his life, Mr Sloots, from Port Talbot, recalled being “covered from head to toe” in dust, which was impossible not to inhale.

After being diagnosed with mesothelioma in May 2024, his health declined over the following months, and he experienced significant pain and suffering before his death in April of this year.

Now, his granddaughter Tegan has paid tribute to her beloved grandfather, who she called ‘dad’ due to the bond between the two.

Mr Sloots had three children, six grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Throughout Tegan’s life, and particularly since the loss of Mr Sloots’s wife in 2012, they have been very close.