DEVASTATED Michaela Cantrell was still in mourning for her mum when she learned that the man she called dad would die, too.

Steven Barford was diagnosed with the cancer mesothelioma just two months after Michaela's mother – his fiancee, Sylvia Green – died of kidney failure.

With doctors warning that the 54-year-old had no more than two years to live, he and Michaela began preparing for the future.

For Steven, that involved making sure Michaela would have enough money to live on after he died.

And for Michaela, it meant coming to terms with the devastating reality that soon she would be alone.

She said: "I worry that he could be taken from me while I'm at college.

"Or I could be on a trip somewhere and there's no mobile phone signal and no-one will be able to get hold of me, then I get home and there's a relative waiting to tell me that my dad's passed away."

After Sylvia died in July last year, Michaela filled a box full of her jewellery and sympathy cards.

Now, she is preparing to put her stepdad's treasured possessions in there, too, and has already labelled it "mum and dad's memory box".

Steven finds it too upsetting to look at the cards but, for Michaela, they are a comfort.

She said: "When my mum died, I was so emotional I didn't know what to think.

"At first, I was refusing counselling but then it got to be so much for me that I wanted to end my life.

"I was doing a full-time college course and running up to hospital to see my dad when he was taken in, and it all got too much.

"I was just trying to be strong for my dad. Now, I'm coping with it by talking about it."

If Steven wins his legal battle with British Celanese, now Celanese Acetate, he will divide the money three ways between Michaela and his two sons, Leighton, 31, and Matthew, 32.

And he hopes it will mean Michaela can afford to stay in full-time education and fulfil her ambitions.

She is in the second year of a health and social care course at Mackworth College but hopes to go on to study sport so that she can teach it to terminally-ill or disabled children.

Although she receives a number of benefits, including an educational maintenance allowance, Steven is worried that it will not be enough.

He said: "If she has to leave college, that will put what she wants to do in jeopardy. I'm trying to get this compensation so she can fulfil her dream.

"We've both had to accept that this time next year, I might not be here. Michaela calls me dad and I think of her as my daughter. I worry about her. There's an urgency about the claim because I don't know how long I've got."

He has appealed for his former workmates to come forward and give information about the working conditions at Celanese.

He worked there from 1972 to 1977 and believes that he was primarily exposed to asbestos during his last two years, when he worked as a pipe fitter's mate and took asbestos lagging off pipes.

He claims he was given gloves but no other clothing or protection such as face masks or breathing equipment.

In July last year, he started suffering with breathing problems and, following a series of tests, was diagnosed with cancer in September.

His solicitor, Chris Stansfield, of Nelsons, has used a new fast-track system to get the case dealt with as soon as possible.

He said asbestos compensation cases normally took over two years to resolve but, under the system, a judge takes early charge of the case and drives it through.

The onus is on an employer to quickly state if it has reasonable grounds to oppose the case. If not, the judge can rule compensation is payable immediately.

Mr Stansfield said: "I would urge anyone who can comment on the conditions at Celanese, preferably between 1972 and 1977, to contact me so that we can push forward with this claim while Mr Barford is still with us."

If you can help, call Mr Stansfield on 0115 989 5227.

Joanne Carlin, co-ordinator of the charity Derbyshire Asbestos Team, said there had been about 15 cases brought against British Celanese in Derbyshire over the past five years, the majority of which were related to mesothelioma and were successful.

A spokeswoman for British Celanese said it was company policy not to comment on ongoing cases of compensation.

Are you facing a battle for compensation over asbestos, or another industrial disease? E-mail newsdesk@derbytelegraph.co.uk