I'm having one of those days where everything seems ironic. In a good way. This afternoon I am being interviewed for an article in the National Post, for a project that I have been working on behalf of Save Your Skin Foundation since last year. We are working with the folks at Post Media to do a Spotlight on Immuno-oncology in the Patient Diaries series.
Save Your Skin advocates for cancer patient access to life-saving immunotherapy treatments, and is helping to bring patients and the media together to shed light on this subject. Patient Diaries is spotlighting some patient stories for the feature to run this Fall, so I shouldn't have been surprised when I got the call the other day asking if I would be willing to share my story for it. Guess I kinda forgot I still am a melanoma patient (who received immunotherapy) - have been so busy living and working it didn't occur to me that they would want my story in there. LOL It will be neat to see this Spotlight come together from both sides, as a project manager from the inside, and as a patient interview on the outside. Stay tuned for more info!
Another full-circle event is upcoming for me too - the OneWalk in downtown Toronto September 8, 2018. Two years ago my dear friend Rhonda walked in my honour the fund raiser for melanoma research at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, when there was no way I could have walked that distance. Just finishing my treatments at the time, I was struggling with side effects and a difficult emotional cancer battle, and I was incredibly moved that she did that for me.
That's Rhonda :-) -->
Now I am feeling much better, and I have been invited to walk 15km downtown Toronto with a team that has been part of my life for several years. You may remember me talking about La Roche-Posay, the sunscreen and skin care brand who created the "Become A Skin Checker" campaign and invited me to share my story at their Toronto awareness events.
This year La Roche-Posay graciously accepted my request to become an official sponsor of Save Your Skin Foundation, and they donated a whole bunch of their excellent sunscreen to us for distribution at our events. We are building further on the relationship by my joining their OneWalk team this year, to raise money for melanoma research at Princess Margaret (at which Save Your Skin closely works with melanoma oncologists on a regular basis).
In September La Roche-Posay Canada and I will join forces again, this time to raise $15,000 for melanoma research. A very exciting prospect!! Being as I have the honour of working directly with lead melanoma researchers at Princess Margaret, I can assure you personally that the funds go directly where they are supposed to go. I fully support this endeavour, and I hope you will too.
To donate to our team, please click here:
Thank you!
More about La Roche-Posay at OneWalk Toronto 2018:
La
Roche-Posay is a skincare brand committed to preventing and fighting
skin cancer. Recent studies indicate that of cancers diagnosed
worldwide are a form of skin cancer, which is why our mission to provide
a better life for sensitive skin is more than ever. Developed in
collaborating with dermatologists and toxicologists, our products
contain only the necessary ingredients, at the right active dose.
To
further contribute to the cause, we introduced an annual public service
campaign in 2017 with the mission to inform the public about the
dangers of sun exposure and the importance of protecting your skin from
UV rays. This year, we are taking our commitment one-step further. La
Roche-Posay is proud to be an official partner for this year’s OneWalk
to Conquer Cancer™, one of Canada’s life-changing cancer fundraising
experiences. Every year, thousands of walkers unite to take the streets
of Toronto and challenge themselves to walk and raise vital funds for
cancer research and care at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.
This
year, La Roche-Posay will be walking 15 kilometers and raising $15,000,
which will go directly towards melanoma research. These funds will go
directly toward supporting the Princess Margaret Hospital’s
world-leading clinicians and researchers to detect cancers earlier,
diagnose with more precision, target treatment for each patient and
support patients and their families throughout the cancer journey.
