When Save Your Skin Founder Kathy Barnard was diagnosed with Metastatic Malignant Melanoma in 2003, the first thing she did was look to the internet for anything that would inspire optimism for her prognosis; hopeful news, survivors, or treatment options. She didn’t find much.
From this experience was created the “I’m Living Proof” initiative and website, intended to provide a wealth of information, resources, and support to those touched by cancer, while also connecting patients and their families to a community of survivors who have shared their stories. This initiative was borne from Kathy’s desire to ensure that those diagnosed with melanoma know that surviving melanoma is possible –“I’m Living Proof”.
Visitors to the site are encouraged to read participating patients’ stories, and they are given the option to connect with these patients via a secure form privately shared between the Save Your Skin Foundation team in collaboration with the person wishing to connect with other patients or survivors.
An interactive map serves as a method for patients and survivors to reach people across Canada and around the world.
On the map we use stars to represent survivors; we do this to inspire everyone already diagnosed, and those who will be diagnosed, to reach for the stars because there is hope for survival. Those of us surviving melanoma today are living proof of that. We also hold stars close to our heart as we remember those we’ve loved and lost to melanoma. These individuals are our stars in the sky, which is why Save Your Skin donates an actual star to the family of every melanoma patient we lose with a connection to the foundation.
To give you a bigger and better interactive map for which to connect with other patients, we have moved the former I’m Living Proof website to be housed right here under our very own SYSF site. Click HERE to see the map!
Please feel free to check out our map and click on the stars in locations across Canada to read the stories and see videos of fellow melanoma survivors. If you feel you would like to speak with one of these folks, you can fill out a quick form and we will send your request to the person you wish to meet via email.
If you would like to share your story and join our support community via a star on the map or otherwise, you can click here to fill out a quick form to let us know you’d like to be in touch.
Tell us a little about yourself! And what you think about this program. We are here to help: Hand in hand we fight melanoma together.
