The loss of both her parents to melanoma has resulted in a great deal of stress for Lisa Donaldson and for families like hers, the lack of mental health support is wearing them down.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"I lost mum and dad both to melanoma, both with very different skin types. Mum was fair and freckled like me and dad had tan skin. He was a sportsman and a golf pro, and mum was a gardener," Ms Donaldson said.
With temperatures soaring across Australia, it serves as a timely reminder for everyone to stay protected regardless of skin type.
Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world, with one Australian diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes.
"Losing them has been incredibly hard but has made me quite vigilant with my own children to make sure that we've always got our hats and our suncream on," Ms Donaldson said.
Kathryn Squires is currently undergoing treatment for melanoma which has spread throughout her body.
She was diagnosed in July and had to wait five months before she could see a psychologist for support through her initial diagnosis.
"The last thing you want to be is full of stress and fear, that's been easing for me over the last six months but the first part was an emotional, crazy roller-coaster ride," Ms Squires said.
Like Ms Squires, Kerrie Stanley was devastated when she found out about her diagnosis.
Ms Stanley found a lump on her thigh and went straight to the doctor to have it removed but it had unfortunately spread to her liver and brain.
She recovered after having her lymph nodes removed and is now under surveillance.
READ MORE:
During her treatment, Ms Stanley said the diagnosis took a big toll on her family and she didn't receive the phycological support she needed at the time.
"It was a massive shock to my family and they felt useless and my husband suffered some really deep depression and our marriage suffered because of it," Ms Stanley said.
Dr Iris Bartula head of psychosocial research at MIA is leading a clinical trial to improve the phycological treatment of people living with melanoma.
According to Dr Bartula, one of the biggest issues for people suffering from melanoma is the fear and worry the disease is going to come back or get worse.
"We're hoping to offer psychological support to help them cope better with melanoma. It will give them coping skills to manage that fear and that can be quite impactful," Dr Bartula said.
The brave women will be attending the Melanoma March event at Black Mountain park on Sunday, March 5 to fund Dr Bartula's clinical trial into psychological stresses experienced by advanced melanoma patients.
The Melanoma Australia Institute is hoping to raise $1 million to treat fear of cancer reoccurrence experienced by advanced melanoma patients and is calling on Canberra residents to join its 2023 Melanoma March.
