The cure for melanoma begins with me.

My melanoma journey began on April 30, 2021, when I found out that a lump that had been removed a few days earlier had come back as malignant melanoma. Following scans and exams, I was told I was stage IIIc, unknown primary. To this day, we have not (and probably never will) find the place on my skin where it originated. 

In June, I had a wide lesion excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy, and a short 4 weeks later, I started on my first line of treatment, nivolumab. I had four (of 12) treatments before there was a lump in my left axillary again. This time it was a lymph node. Treatment stopped and I underwent a full axillary dissection. Thirty lymph nodes were removed, and thankfully 29 of them were negative! 

And so it was on to another treatment - this time we were going for the combo ipilumumab and nivolumab. Two treatments in, I ended up in the hospital with grade 3 colitis. Steroids were used to reverse the issues, and after nearly two months of weaning off the steroids, I was finally able to resume treatment. I completed this treatment plan in June 2021, and completed maintenance treatment in May 2024. As of my most recent scan, I am 3.5 YEARS NED, and I am so grateful for all the research that has made this possible!

Melanoma is the deadliest and fastest growing form of skin cancer and we all want a cure to be found soon. Miles for Melanoma is the way people come together to take action and help support this fight and the mission of the Melanoma Research Foundation.

Every step matters and every step counts. Significant advancement has been made in the past few years in improved detection, new drug treatments and better survival rates. This progress has been built on the breakthroughs made fighting other types of cancers, as well as the existing foundation of melanoma research.

There is more to be done and a long way to go, but the finish line is in sight. The energy, enthusiasm and encouragement from patients, survivors, families, friends, caregivers, and the medical community impacts many lives and many futures.

Step up and donate to Miles for Melanoma today.