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WANTED: youth who have been affected by melanoma to appear in an educational video
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WANTED: youth who have been affected by melanoma to appear in an educational video

› Forums › Caregiver Community › WANTED: youth who have been affected by melanoma to appear in an educational video

  • Post
    • November 9, 2010 at 4:42 pm
    DCMF
    Participant

      We are an Ontario charity who are looking for young people who are suffering from, or who have been affected by, melanoma to appear in an educational video.  The David Cornfield Melanoma Fund was established in 2007 and is devoted to saving lives from melanoma by promoting awareness of this disease.  The Fund was created in loving memory of David Cornfield, who passed away from melanoma in December 2005 at the age of 32.  David was my step-brother and left behind a legacy, including a young son. 

      We are an Ontario charity who are looking for young people who are suffering from, or who have been affected by, melanoma to appear in an educational video.  The David Cornfield Melanoma Fund was established in 2007 and is devoted to saving lives from melanoma by promoting awareness of this disease.  The Fund was created in loving memory of David Cornfield, who passed away from melanoma in December 2005 at the age of 32.  David was my step-brother and left behind a legacy, including a young son. 

      We are in the process of making an educational video aimed at teaching youth and their caregivers about preventing and detecting melanoma. We plan to distribute the video to summer camps, schools and other stakeholders.  We have hired a dynamic well-known production company, Evidently, to help us shoot this video.  We are moving things forward very quickly are looking for actual patients (preferably younger people, such as teenagers or young adults) or family members to appear in our video.

       The video will be shot in Toronto hopefully around the end of this month. We are not in a position to pay for the appearance but would, of course, cover reasonable expenses i.e. parking.
       
      If you or someone you know are able to assist, that would be wonderful.    Kindly contact me on this Board post or by email at [email protected] and I can give you some more information.
       
      Thank you
      Elyse
        
    Viewing 3 reply threads
    • Replies
        • November 10, 2010 at 4:07 am
        2atlascedars
        Participant

          Hello Elyse,

          Best of luck with the video. This is important work you are doing.

          I am probably older than what you are looking for, but at 45 I still feel robbed of my health and vitality, with which I had previously been extremely blessed.

          Please include a mention that melanoma can strike anywhere on the body, even the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. I was just diagnosed with Acral Lentiginous Melanoma which appeared as a brown spot on the sole of my foot. I thought it had come from stepping in something (like grease). It was hazy and covered by the thick calloused skin of my heel, so it never alarmed me until I tried to file it away with a callous file and it bled. I immediately went to a doctor who did a biopsy, which led to the diagnosis. All my life I have heard the cancer warnings regarding moles and sun exposed skin, but I had never heard that you could get cancer on the sole of the foot. I was completely blind-sided by this. Please spread the word.

          Best regards,
          Mark

            • November 10, 2010 at 4:11 am
            Becky
            Participant

              I agree. My 21 year old son's melanoma was on this tip of his tongue….very rare. Obviously there was nothing he could have done to prevent it  but I guess the message should be if something seems unusual…check it out!

              • November 10, 2010 at 6:42 am
              bcl
              Participant

                 I like the 'ugly duckling' warning sign mentioned here

                http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1100753-overview

                 

                The ABCDEs have the greatest diagnostic accuracy when used in combination. Lesions exhibiting these features should be considered potential melanoma, although severely atypical nevi may be difficult to distinguish clinically. More recent use of the "ugly duckling" warning sign, wherein skin examination is focused on recognition of a pigmented or clinically amelanotic lesion that simply looks different from the rest, may assist with detection of lesions that lack the classic ABCDE criteria (eg, nodular, amelanotic, or desmoplastic melanomas).14,15

                • November 10, 2010 at 6:42 am
                bcl
                Participant

                   I like the 'ugly duckling' warning sign mentioned here

                  http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1100753-overview

                   

                  The ABCDEs have the greatest diagnostic accuracy when used in combination. Lesions exhibiting these features should be considered potential melanoma, although severely atypical nevi may be difficult to distinguish clinically. More recent use of the "ugly duckling" warning sign, wherein skin examination is focused on recognition of a pigmented or clinically amelanotic lesion that simply looks different from the rest, may assist with detection of lesions that lack the classic ABCDE criteria (eg, nodular, amelanotic, or desmoplastic melanomas).14,15

                  • November 10, 2010 at 4:11 am
                  Becky
                  Participant

                    I agree. My 21 year old son's melanoma was on this tip of his tongue….very rare. Obviously there was nothing he could have done to prevent it  but I guess the message should be if something seems unusual…check it out!

                  • November 10, 2010 at 4:07 am
                  2atlascedars
                  Participant

                    Hello Elyse,

                    Best of luck with the video. This is important work you are doing.

                    I am probably older than what you are looking for, but at 45 I still feel robbed of my health and vitality, with which I had previously been extremely blessed.

                    Please include a mention that melanoma can strike anywhere on the body, even the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. I was just diagnosed with Acral Lentiginous Melanoma which appeared as a brown spot on the sole of my foot. I thought it had come from stepping in something (like grease). It was hazy and covered by the thick calloused skin of my heel, so it never alarmed me until I tried to file it away with a callous file and it bled. I immediately went to a doctor who did a biopsy, which led to the diagnosis. All my life I have heard the cancer warnings regarding moles and sun exposed skin, but I had never heard that you could get cancer on the sole of the foot. I was completely blind-sided by this. Please spread the word.

                    Best regards,
                    Mark

                    • November 10, 2010 at 2:25 pm
                    DCMF
                    Participant

                      Thank you all so much!  This is very important information which we will include in the video since we really want to get the message to young people about early detection.

                      Please let me know if you do know anyone in the Toronto area who would be willing to share their story (it can even be a family member).

                      Thanks again!

                      Elyse

                      P.S. Mark, if 45 is "too old", then we are all in trouble!  I wish you only good health and that you beat this beast!

                      • November 10, 2010 at 2:25 pm
                      DCMF
                      Participant

                        Thank you all so much!  This is very important information which we will include in the video since we really want to get the message to young people about early detection.

                        Please let me know if you do know anyone in the Toronto area who would be willing to share their story (it can even be a family member).

                        Thanks again!

                        Elyse

                        P.S. Mark, if 45 is "too old", then we are all in trouble!  I wish you only good health and that you beat this beast!

                    Viewing 3 reply threads

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