Marilyn's Story (continued)
“I want to promote healthy sun exposure and help others—just like me—to avoid the scare I went through,” Marilyn states. “I was one of the lucky ones. Sadly, we just don’t take skin cancer seriously here in the United States. To date, there are more than 1 million new skin cancers diagnosed each year with approximately 10,000 of those people dying.”
“In fact, one person dies of skin cancer every 67 minutes,” she stated.
Marilyn considers herself very lucky to have caught her skin cancer early and stopped it from spreading. Her purpose in life now is to create a nationally recognized event attracting dermatologists and medical educators to help educate others about the harmful dangers of excessive sun exposure and to teach individuals and other medical professionals simple safety measures to avoid skin cancer. SCAN will also generate funds for skin cancer research in pursuit of a cure for skin cancer.
Being a survivor has changed Marilyn’s life forever. She still enjoys the sun, but she plays smarter now. Two years ago, she took up scuba diving and spends hours each summer swimming with her nieces. She plays golf and enjoys other outdoor activities. But today, she avoids the harsh sun between 10-4 and uses correct sunscreen and protective clothing— such as hats, jackets, sunglasses, and umbrellas. Marilyn, like so many others, has already done a tremendous amount of damage to her skin. However, by taking precautions and having periodic checkups with a dermatologist, she expects to be spending a lot more time in the sun—only this time, safely!
Our Mission
To create public awareness of the dangers of excessive exposure to the sun and educate people about preventive safety measures to avoid or lessen the chances of developing melanoma
or one of the other preventable skin cancers.
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