save your skin foundation

SYSF Around the World

“SYSF works hard to bring resources from around the world to give Canadian skin cancer patients the latest information on treatment options and disease management.

This year our May campaigns have gone around the globe – from our long-standing participation in the Global Coalition for Melanoma Patient Advocacy with the Melanoma Research Foundation to the Melanoma International Patient Advocates Coalition with AIM at Melanoma to Ocumel Canada’s partnership with the US, the UK, Ireland and Australia, all the way home to the NCCN Guidelines created in the US but used by our own Health Care Providers in Canada.

We hope you enjoy these resources and welcome questions or feedback any time.”

– Natalie Richardson, Managing Director, SYSF

We are very pleased to congratulate the National Comprehensive Cancer Network on the release of a new valuable patient/caregiver resource! Save Your Skin Foundation is proud to have provided endorsement for the Guide and have our Managing Director Natalie featured on the cover!

The new NCCN Guidelines for Patients® on Melanoma provides an extremely comprehensive and informational reference for patients covering melanoma basics, testing, staging, treatment and recurrence.

Click HERE to view and download the Guidelines

In collaboration with the Global Coalition for Melanoma Patient Advocacy, hosted by the Melanoma Research Foundation in the United States, Save Your Skin Foundation participated in the making of this skin check awareness video for Melanoma Awareness Month 2021, featuring melanoma patients and caregivers from across the globe demonstrating that the time it takes to do a skin self-exam is the same as that of drinking a cup of coffee. Check it out:

Need help performing a self skin check? Click here for a video tutorial!

Also:

Save Your Skin Foundation is a proud member of MI-PAC, a coalition of organizations across the globe committed to reducing the global melanoma burden through education, advocacy, and collaboration. MIPAC, hosted by AIM at Melanoma in the United States, works to increase awareness and change public perceptions of melanoma, empower melanoma patients to take an active role in their care, and effect change in regulatory policies to optimize treatment and care.

Watch for our upcoming patient stories and continued awareness initiatives right here at home in Canada! For more information or support please contact us at kathy@saveyourskin.ca / 1.800.460.5832

Metastatic Melanoma on Canadian Health & Family – with Dr. Marla Shapiro

Watch this video which aired May 10, 2021:

Melanomas on the skin usually start as areas of pigmentation that’s changed or irregular. If they are noticed and picked up early, they can often be removed. But in some cases it turns into something much greater.

In this segment, we will hear from Dr. Marcus Butler from Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Kathy Barnard from Save Your Skin, and Shannon, who has been living with metastatic melanoma since 2005. They will be telling their stories, and sharing support options for those seeking education on metastatic melanoma.

For more information please visit Health and Family Metastatic Melanoma – Health and Family

Global Coalition launches Skin Check App and Video

In response to the Covid pandemic, the Global Coalition for Melanoma Patient Advocacy has launched two skin self-exam tools to encourage individuals to perform skin self-examinations.

In the fight against melanoma skin cancer, early detection and treatment is critical.

Both the voice-activated app and the video are free to use, so we encourage everybody to find just 10 minutes each month and make conducting a skin self-exam part of their regular routine.

1. A voice-activated digital assistant ‘Skin Check’ app

Available on both Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant platforms, the app guides people through what to look for, and the seven steps for conducting a full-body skin exam.

The assistant finishes by offering to set a recurring monthly reminder for the exam.

Once enabled, users can simply ask Alexa or Google: “Open Skin Check”

2. A skin self-exam video

Similar in scope to the app, the video covers the ABCDE warning signs of melanoma, and the seven steps for checking the body.

Pauses between the seven steps have been included in the film, so that the viewer can simply take their phone or tablet into a bathroom, hit play, and follow the instructions in real time.

About The Global Coalition for Melanoma Patient Advocacy

The Global Coalition for Melanoma Patient Advocacy was formed in 2014 by the Melanoma Research Foundation in response to the global need to bring the patient voice to the melanoma space.

The group has grown to include organizations from 27 different countries and is enthusiastically supported by its partners around the world, as well as the global patient, healthcare and pharmaceutical communities. The Coalition meets the vital needs of the worldwide melanoma community through three working groups, which each specialize in a unique area that addresses globally relevant issues for melanoma patients, encompassing:

Melanoma Awareness and Patient Resources
Patient Advocacy and Access to Treatment
Collaboration and Recruitment

The Global Coalition for Melanoma Patient Advocacy meets annually and is determined to make the deadliest skin cancer curable through its worldwide partnership. For more information or with questions about the Global Coalition, email global@melanoma.org.

A Viking’s Challenge is Back!

Mark your calendars! The second edition of A Viking’s Challenge will be taking place on March 6, 2021.

Last March, Chris Isfeld ran 30km across frozen Lake Winnipeg and raised almost $20,000 for melanoma patients! Building on last year’s enormous success, Chris invites you to join A Viking’s Challenge this year by running a distance of your choice anywhere in Canada.

Chris’s Story

Chris is a melanoma survivor. His story with cancer began in 2017 when he was diagnosed with advanced melanoma. He was given lifesaving immunotherapy treatment just in time. The treatment was challenging but it proved to be effective. The cancer stopped growing and the side effects became more manageable over the next few months. Soon, he was walking again. By December 2018, just one year after his melanoma diagnosis, he was lacing up his running shoes again.

The results of his latest PET/CT scan, on November 2, 2019, show an almost complete metabolic response; he is well on the way to becoming NED (No Evidence of Disease).

THE CHALLENGE

Chris had been frequently running and practicing yoga to overcome the physical and emotional anguish he was feeling.

In an interview with Global News, he said:

“A friend of mine, Shawn Bjornsson from Winnipeg, posted a photo after he did a 5K run in -40, and for some reason, I just made a comment and said, ‘Hey, I’ll race you across the lake,’ just as a joke, But a week later, I thought about it, and thought, ‘You know what, this is an absolutely great idea.’

“It gives me something to focus on, and obviously with my diagnosis, I had gotten to know the people at Save Your Skin Foundation very well, and decided that I should do it as a fundraiser and raise money for them.”

THE RACE

True to their Viking roots, they didn’t back down from a challenge. On March 7, 2020, they ran about 30 km from Grand Beach, Manitoba to Gimli, Manitoba, raising almost $20,000 for Save Your Skin Foundation. Read more about last year’s race here.

This Year’s Challenge

Last year’s race was a personal challenge for Chris and his friend Shawn, but since so many expressed an interest in joining the challenge in future years, Chris has decided to open the challenge up to the general public this year. Because of the pandemic, the event will take place virtually, allowing participants to run any distance they choose from any location in Canada and beyond. To participate, runners will have to register and make a one-time donation to Save Your Skin Foundation. More details will be coming soon but, in the mean time, lace up those running shoes, put on your helmet and start channeling your inner Viking!

Happy Holidays from the SYSF Team!

From Save Your Skin Foundation’s Founder and President, Kathy Barnard, here is a message of thanks to all those who supported the Foundation this past year. SYSF’s team is so very grateful to all those who helped us as we continued offering the best support possible to melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer and ocular melanoma patients and caregivers, despite the unprecedented challenges we faced this year.

Warmest wishes for a happy holiday season and a wonderful New Year. With lots of love.

Sun Safe BC

BC Sun Safety Coalition

Sun Safe BC is a provincial coalition with members involved in sun safety and skin cancer prevention work. Coordinated and administered by BC Cancer Prevention Program, the coalition works collaboratively to reduce the risk of exposure to UV and its damaging effects. We do this through policy and health protection measures, and by providing health promotion messaging and education to people in BC, with a particular focus on infants, children and youth.

Membership

Save Your Skin Foundation
Canadian Cancer Society
CAREX Canada
Vancouver Coastal Health
BC Centre for Disease Control
UBC Dermatology
BC Children’s Hospital
BC Cancer
Canadian Dermatology Association

Action Areas

CAPACITY FOR ACTION – Strengthen capacity among priority population service providers and educators

SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS – Create and strengthen supportive environments to limit exposure to UV radiation

POLICY & DECISION MAKING – Inform decision making and seek to influence sun safe policies, advancing toward provincial policy creation or amendments when and where possible;

ATTITUDE, KNOWLEDGE & BEHAVIOUR – Influence and improve attitudes, knowledge and behaviour around sun safety and develop individual skills to keep healthy and avoid UV radiation damage.

Current and past projects

Online Training for Early Childhood Educators

Developed and currently hosting zoom workshops for early childhood educators as part of their professional development requirements. Early Childhood Educators can play an important role in protecting children from the sun’s rays. The course covers important information about skin cancer and ultraviolet radiation, sun protection methods and easy and practical ways to build sun safety into daily routines at childcare centres. We are working to convert the course to an interactive, online platform and are looking to expand course offering to others working directly with children.

Shade Pilot Project

We are working with the City of Vancouver to design and install shade solutions for their high UV exposure childcare facilities. We are currently building a research plan to measure UV exposure and physical activity levels in centres with and without shade sails installed.

Sunscreen Dispenser Project

Members of the coalition have been working to have sunscreen dispensers installed at select park locations during spring/summer months. To date, sunscreen dispensers have been installed at New Westminster’s Riverfront Park and two park locations in Kelowna.

Reports

Annual report 2019/20

Contact

For more information or to connect, visit the website HERE or email breann.corcoran at bccancer.bc.ca or call 604-838-7808.

New Merchandise Just in Time for the Holidays!

The holiday season is right around the corner and we know many of you are busy buying gifts for your loved ones.

To bring a little bit of extra cheer to our own holiday season, and to entice you to support melanoma patients while checking off your shopping list, we opened an Etsy store and designed some brand new Save Your Skin merchandise!

Amongst other things, we now have branded hoodies, headbands, t-shirts, bags, masks and, our favorite new item this year, a hilarious Ugly Christmas Sweater!

Whatever you end up buying, rest assured that all proceeds will, as usual, go directly to patients living with melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer and ocular melanoma to help them with their everyday needs during treatment in the form of transportation, accommodation, child care, lost wages and more.

There’s an item for everyone in the family, and for every budget. For the fitness enthusiast, we have stylish branded Lululemon shirts and tank tops for men and women. For the minimalist, we have classic black tees with a simple logo. And for that friend who loves making others laugh, I think you’ll agree that the Ugly Christmas Sweater will do just that.

Move for Melanoma 2020 – It’s a Wrap!

To everyone who participated in Move for Melanoma 2020 by raising awareness and funds in their communities, a huge thank you! We couldn’t have done it without you!

Over 100 participants and 24 teams across Canada took part in Move for Melanoma this year! We have been so moved and inspired by this incredible community of patients, families, and friends.

We’d like to thank all those who supported Move for Melanoma by making a donation, sponsoring an event or spreading the word. Thanks to you, the event was a monumental success!
We reached 120% of our (doubled) fundraising goal! You can read our full post-event press release HERE.

To all participants and donors, your dedication to the fight against skin cancer will help Save Your Skin Foundation continue to support Canadians living with non-melanoma skin cancer, melanoma and ocular melanoma when they need it most. Every single dollar raised through your donations will go directly to patients in the form of cab fares, treatment costs, flights, accommodation and other necessary but costly expenses incurred while receiving treatment.

Thanks to all our participants who sent us pictures of themselves and their teammates taking part in Move for Melanoma, we were able to create a beautiful Wrap video of the event. We encourage you to take 2 minutes to complete our post-event PARTICIPANT SURVEY to help us improve for next year!

Watch our 2020 Wrap video!

Thank you to our Sponsors:

We’d like to acknowledge the many businesses that have stepped up to support our event this year. They have generously donated prizes for our top fundraisers and made monetary contributions to the event.
Please show them your support!

Huge Thank You to all Move for Melanoma supporters!

To all those who participated in Move for Melanoma by raising awareness and funds in their communities, a huge thank you! We couldn’t have done it without you! We are inspired by all of the creative activities that SYSF supporters did in the Move for Melanoma activity challenge throughout the weekend of September 13-16, 2019.

We’d also like to thank all those who supported Move for Melanoma by making a donation, sponsoring an event or spreading the word. Thanks to you, the event was a monumental success! Your dedication to the fight against skin cancer will help Save Your Skin Foundation continue to support Canadians living with non-melanoma skin cancer, melanoma and ocular melanoma. Know that you have made a difference!

TOTAL FUNDS RAISED THIS WEEKEND
Want to know how it went? Watch this video to find out!

Thanks to the many participants who sent us pictures of themselves and their teammates taking part in Move for Melanoma, we were able to create a beautiful recap video of the event. The BMS Cycling Team completed a 600 kilometre ride over the weekend – watch SYSF Founder Kathy Barnard roll across the finish line with them!

One Week Until Move for Melanoma!

All across Canada teams of runners, bikers, hikers, and even laser tag enthusiasts are all preparing to MOVE FOR MELANOMA next weekend!

In our weekend-long fund-and-awareness-raising activity challenge Save Your Skin supporters will be all hands on deck to make this event great.

Friday September 13 kicks off Move for Melanoma with a team of cyclists biking 600 kilometres in the Montreal area, wrapping up the ride on Monday September 16 in conjunction with two shorter rides, 85 kms and 55 kms, in which our very own Kathy Barnard will be biking with her husband alongside the BMS team.

On the Saturday and Sunday in cities all over, participants will do their favourite activities in the name of melanoma patient support – in addition to the run and bike routes people have planned, we have crossfit teams, kayaking, city tour walking, and axe-throwing!

Haven’t yet registered?

CLICK HERE to view the event website and join a team, create a team, or donate today!

Click on any image below to see what these teams are doing:

Save Your Skin Foundation notes the unique accessibility of the Challenge as an important part of campaign. “Skin cancer can happen to anyone. It’s caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight or tanning beds. We therefore wanted a campaign that was accessible to anyone”, explains Kathleen Barnard, President and Founder, Save Your Skin Foundation and stage four melanoma survivor. “People have come up with very creative ideas that work within their Challenge comfort zones. One team is doing CrossFit, another is doing an axe-throwing contest and I’ll be cycling 55 kilometres in Montreal on Monday!”

Email us to let us know what you’re doing for MOVE FOR MELANOMA!

Stay tuned for more photos and excitement from the events next weekend. We will also post thanks to our generous sponsors, including:

Bristol-Meyers Squibb Canada, Montreal, Quebec

AXED Throwing Club, Thornbury, Ontario

Beach City CrossFit, Penticton, BC

MadLab School of Fitness, Vancouver, BC

And many more!

SYSF Around the World

Click HERE to view and download the Guidelines

Metastatic Melanoma on Canadian Health & Family – with Dr. Marla Shapiro

Global Coalition launches Skin Check App and Video

1. A voice-activated digital assistant ‘Skin Check’ app

2. A skin self-exam video

About The Global Coalition for Melanoma Patient Advocacy