Thank you for visiting my fundraising.

Donating through this is simple, fast and totally secure.  It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts. Better yet, you can also join my team and walk or run the 5K in Walsingham Park.

I survived melanoma. Last August, I went to the dermatologist to get a mole checked and it came back as a malignant melanoma. The first surgery showed it had spread to two lymph nodes. A second surgery was required and all the tissue taken came back clear. In medical terms I am considered cured, but I am in the high risk group for recurrence. In my journey, a new world opened.

Prior to cancer, I was very active in triathlons and I also participated in local Relay for Life events for over five years. It is only fitting, I can get to contribute in the park near my home where I train and for a cause that is now personal for me.

In my journey, I learned that medical  research only recently made some great strides in fight against melanoma. It is been amazing to live through it and find out where science has taken us and where it hasn't. Much was concluded from the skin biopsy results and the sentinel lymph ode biopsy. After that, it quickly became muddy and all you have left are statistics. Science has not created a clear and certain picture, what the cancer does after it reaches the lymph nodes in my case. I stress my case, as the story changes when found elsewhere. If you add other skin cancers or different cancers altogether. You realize how complicated and how expensive progress is. In example, a new possible "wonder" drug, Ipi, is being tested in 1100 studies worldwide.

The second most revealing discovery is the human side. This became clear to me after reading Lance Armstrong's book on his survival and visiting the chemo room for a month when taking Interferon. Cancer patients fight like hell ( usually the cure, the doctors and medicine fight the cancer) and their immediate caretakers also pay a heavy toll. Nonetheless, the human element outside of that feels lonely at times. Support requires patience and understanding and I have seen plenty that have struggled in their fight. More education and funding is needed to assist patients and family to focus on their fight and be released of their daily worries. After all, your health is the mat important to anyone.

Just like Lance, I believe that when you keep moving, you get better. A 5K is a healthy start for many. Join me and make a step towards progress to melanoma research. We need more medical research to find answers and to provide better care for cancer patients and their families. We all want to be survivors.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!