Research. Educate. Advocate.

To support medical RESEARCH for finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma. To EDUCATE patients and physicians about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of melanoma. To act as an ADVOCATE for the melanoma community to raise the awareness of this disease and the need for a cure. Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is the largest independent, national organization devoted to melanoma in the United States. Committed to the support of medical research in finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma.

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About

What I want

World peace.  Well, that too.  I want people to understand the danger of UV exposure - indoors and out.  I want tanning beds banned to minors.  I want everyone to become proactive when it comes to their skin and make yearly skin exams with a dermatologist...yearly.  Melanoma is nearly 99% treatable if caught early, but is one of the deadliest cancers once it has spread.  Treatment options are limited for late stage patients and so the key is prevention and early detection.  Parents need to educate themselves and then teach their children - the earlier the better.  Incorporating sun protection into your child’s routine is simple if you start when they are young and make it as much a part of their day as brushing their teeth.  Parents, it’s also your job to set a good example.  You shouldn’t expect your kids to be slathered in SPF, wearing UPF clothing, hats and sunglasses if you’re not doing the same.  Starting new routines are always challenging in the beginning, but once you’ve adjusted your thinking and make sun protection a priority, it’s easy.  It becomes a no-brainer.  …And that’s what us blonde girls like.

What I do

Well, these days, I write, I tweet, I instruct and sometimes even bray about UV exposure and sun protection! I have spent the last ten years educating myself about melanoma and have worked to find simple, practical ways to live safely in the sun. Now, with the help of social media, I’ve been able to expand my message and reach out to others. Read more

Who I am

I am not a doctor. I am a wife, a mother of young girls, a three time melanoma survivor, and most recently a LA Times bestselling author of Pale Girl SPEAKS. My first diagnosis, at 25, was the result of a yearly skin exam. A dermatologist, who I’d been seeing since high school, pointed out the mole and thought it should be biopsied. At the time, I had no idea what melanoma was. Read more