Terry O’Neill Training Institute of the Melanoma Foundation of New England

Harvard School of Medicine will be running its first Terry O’Neill Training Institute of the Melanoma Foundation of New England for primary care physicians and other health care professionals this November. The proceeds raised at Terry’s Walk 2009 will fund this program. Similar to the conference we funded last year, this conference is designed to train health care professionals in identifying early warning signs of melanoma and other skin cancers. This is a great step forward in wiping out melanoma. When detected early, melanoma is 90% curable. By training the professionals that see you regularly you have a better chance of being treated early and cured.

This is very exciting and very humbling that Terry is being honored in this way. It is because of the support from everyday people that this event is happening. YOU should feel honored that you are truly making the difference in someone else’s life.

Save The Date!

Happy New Year! We hope you and your family had a great holiday season.
As you hang up you 2009 calendar, save the date-
Terry’s Walk 2009 October 3, 2:00, Bourne Massachusetts!

We raised over $21,000 last year!!! We are amazed by all of your effort and generosity. We did that together – and plan on doing it again!

As we prepare for our second walk, if you can think of any ways to add to the day through our raffle table, sponsors or anything at all, please contact us. We also need volunteers for registration, publicity, etc.

Feel free to contact us at melanoma_green@yahoo.com

Making a Difference

And the grand total is…. Drum roll please… $21,744.74!
Thank you to all that made contributions to this great event!

We truly are setting the sun on melanoma. The funds we raised for the Melanoma Foundation of New England have already begun to fight melanoma at its earliest stages. On November 1, 2008 the Paul Sullivan Melanoma Educational Institute held a course in Early Detection and Management of Melanoma for the Non-Dermatologist. This event was funded in-part by proceeds from Terry’s Walk.

The course was attended by family physicians, primary care internists, geriatricians, obstetricians, gynecologists, nurse practitioners, residents, physician assistants, and fellows.
This course updated non-dermatologists on the detection and management of melanoma. They were provided with practical, relevant information about identifying patients at risk for melanoma and providing counseling for high-risk patients, as well as screening for early melanoma.

The participants specifically improved their skills in:
• Identifying patients at risk for melanoma
• Distinguishing between typical and atypical lesions
• Managing patients with newly-diagnosed melanoma
• Interpreting the most recent studies designed to improve early detection of melanoma

Health care professionals, such as dermatologists, are vital for diagnosis and treatment of melanoma; however, most Americans don’t have a dermatologist. Courses like this educate the health care professionals that people see most often, giving patients a greater opportunity for screening and early detection.

The Melanoma Foundation of New England invited my father to the event. He was moved as they shared my mom’s story and how vital early detection is to saving lives. I feel strongly had my mother been diagnosed earlier she would be here today. But through her tragedy, comes a great force to make a difference in someone else’s life. It is comforting to know that in my mom’s memory, we truly are setting the sun on melanoma.

Stay Tuned- Next years date will be posted soon!

A great success!

A full update is to follow, but in short we raised roughly $17,000 for the Melanoma Foundation of New England. The rain cleared out, and in the words of Terry grandson Nate “Nana saved the day by telling God to make the rain stop, so we could have the walk and raise the money for the doctors to cure cancer.”

My family and I thank all of you who participated from down the street to across the country. We are making a difference!

Front Page News

This week’s Enterprise Newspaper featured Terry’s Walk on the front page! The article is great! Please take time to read the story. We are only two short weeks away, and this article was a great opportunity for us to reach out to the community. Thank you Enterprise Newspaper and Diane Barth for taking an interest in my mom’s story and promoting this event!

Pot Luck Picnic

Following the walk, friends and family are invited to a Pot Luck Picnic on the Town Green. We ask that if you are attending please bring something to share and your own blankets or chairs to sit on. Valerie, a dear family friend, has offered to coordinate this Pot Luck Picnic.

Please e-mail Valerie at vfortev@aol.com with the following information if you are planning on attending:
Entrée or Dessert:
Name:
Phone:

We hope to see you there!

Extending the offer!

There is still time to order your T-shirts! We are extending the August 1st deadline for T-shirt orders until August 24, 2008. We have raised over $2,000 but wouldn’t it be great to raise more! T-shirt sales, registrations and donations to Terry’s Walk will go directly to the Melanoma Foundation of New England's project to better educate physicians and other healthcare professionals in properly identifying and treating melanoma. We would love to have as many people as we can come and personally share in this beautiful fundraising memorial walk. By sending in your registration fee you can get a free “Setting the Sun on Melanoma” T-shirt. If you are unable to attend, you can still purchase the T-shirt, and show your support. Donations can also be made directly to the Melanoma Foundation of New England via their web site (at left), just be sure to include that it is for Terry’s Walk. If you have any questions, please contact me!

I want to thank those who have already donated and all those planning to donate. You are making a difference in fighting cancer!