Tag: Patient Stories
Melanoma is Determined, So is Eric
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 20 February 2018 In Melanoma Stories
After 7 clinical trials, 8 surgeries, and more infusions than he can count --- Eric Martin is still here, seven years after being diagnosed with melanoma. He has had ups and downs and has tried practically every FDA-approved therapy for melanoma – but the crux of this story, which all readers need to understand, is that Eric’s fight isn’t yet finished. That’s because unlike many of the stories featured by MRA – Eric is still searching for his silver bullet and the elusive letters N.E.D. (no evidence of disease). He’s got big plans and melanoma isn’t going to get in the way. In short, Eric is a melanoma warrior.
"I Thought I Knew Myself, but I Missed It."
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 7 February 2018 In Melanoma Stories, Prevention
Jim can’t say enough about his dermatologist who was able to detect his melanoma early enough so that more invasive treatment wasn’t necessary. “I see myself every day. I thought I knew myself, but I missed it. I see her twice a year, and those visits are quick, but she didn’t miss it. She was all over it.” The vigilance of his dermatologist may have saved Jim’s life.
The Hidden Costs of Cancer
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 12 January 2018 In Melanoma Stories, Treatment
The National Cancer Institute estimates that between 33 and 80% of cancer survivors exhaust their savings to finance their medical expenses. Up to three percent of survivors file for bankruptcy, 260 times more frequently than similar households not affected by cancer. Not only is this financially devastating for families, this hardship was the strongest predictor of the quality of life for cancer survivors.
Connecting the Dots – Clinical Trials and Patient Engagement
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 15 November 2017 In Allies & Partnerships, Melanoma Stories, News
MRA is thrilled to announce the launch of the Melanoma > Exchange, a melanoma treatment and research focused discussion group and support community. Through the Melanoma > Exchange, anyone touched by Melanoma can find support, ask questions, and build community among people who share a similar experience.
“Hands down, I’m alive today because of clinical trials”
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 15 November 2017 In Melanoma Stories, Science
Jamie Goldfarb didn’t think of herself as having cancer. Yes, she had been diagnosed with Stage II melanoma four years earlier and Stage III the following year, but the surgeries to remove it had been successful. The PET scans that followed had been normal. This wasn’t supposed to be happening. Jamie was now a tired new mom with an eleven-week old baby and she was ready to get back to work. But, her world would turn upside down when she learned that not only was melanoma back, but it had progressed to Stage IV and spread to her liver and pancreas.
“Seeing his Family Grow-Up Thanks to the Promise of Clinical Trials”
By Cody Barnett, MPH, MRA Senior Director of Communications & Patient Engagement | 10 October 2017 In Melanoma Stories
In August 2012, T.J. Sharpe walked into the emergency room with a fever. He’d been ill for a couple of days and didn’t want to get his four-week old son sick if he could avoid it. Sixteen days later, he left a full 30 pounds lighter and with a stage IV melanoma diagnosis.
Tara's Story
By Pamela Goldsmith, MRA Director of Communications | 20 January 2017 In Melanoma Stories
Tara Miller was a strong-willed survivor, who lost her battle to melanoma in 2014, inspiring many including her family to create the Tara Miller Melanoma Foundation.
Trena's Story: An African-American Retiree's Journey with Melanoma
8 June 2016 In Melanoma Stories
“Trena, you have melanoma and you are going to lose your toe. “ WHAT?!?! I am a Black woman in her sixties—that is crazy!!