Each year the Melanoma Foundation of New England is dedicated to causes such as educating children about the need for sun-safe behavior, to increasing public awareness about the dangers of the sun, and to helping people cope with melanoma. Melanoma is a preventable cancer.  Through programs like Terry's Walk public understanding of skin cancer is growing.  Knowledge about this deadly cancer can empower the average person to prevent melanoma from affecting their family the way it affected ours.

Terry's cancer came as a true surprise, as it does with all cases.  In 2000 Terry had a small mole removed from her leg, and was told it was an a-typical mole, however no follow-ups were necessary.  Christmas 2003 she developed a large mass on her upper leg.  She was immediately scheduled for surgery, and the biopsy showed it to be melanoma.  Although they went back and removed the lymph node, the cancer had already passed into her lymph node system.  Over the next 4 years Terry endured 7 surgeries, 3 interleukin sessions, radiation, and 3 rounds of chemotherapy before the cancer took hold of her brain.  Despite all those things, she witnessed the birth of 5 grandchildren, cared for her ailing mother, took numerous family trips and brought sunshine where ever she went.  Once when meeting another woman living with cancer, the woman said to her, "You can't have cancer, you are too happy to have cancer."  

Proceeds from this 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. Our family thinks daily of that doctor who in 2000 didn't take another look at Terry's mole, and how different life would be had she been treated then.