REPORT #1728
"We need people to understand it is a different environment now, out ozone layer is gone and we all really need to respect what mother nature is saying to us."
Shonda Schilling
Shade Foundation of America
STAYING IN THE SHADE
SHADE FOUNDATION: If you think a vacation which involves swimming in the ocean, building sand castles on the beach, and tanning by your hotel’s pool in sunny St. Croix sounds ideal, perhaps you should think again. It’s possible to avoid the sharks and tourists on such a vacation, but it is impossible to avoid skin cancer. Melonoma is becoming more common than ever before. According to facts by the Shade Foundation, the percentage of people who develop melanoma has more than doubled in the last three decades. Melanoma is one of the most common cancers and it affects people of all ages, though it is more common at an older age. Melanoma can grow on any skin surface and is often found on woman’s lower legs. Such a disease occurs when pigment cells become malignant. Everyone is at risk for skin cancer, even the rich and famous. Shonda Schilling, wife of a major league baseball pitcher, changed her outlook on life when she was diagnosed with stage-two malignant melanoma. Never thinking that it could happen to her, Schilling was shocked when she found out how serious the disease is. After her fight with melanoma, she decided to found the Shade Foundation. The Shade Foundation helps to eradicate melanoma through the education of children, prevention in the community, promotion of sun safety, and early detection of skin cancer. Shonda Schilling explained to Ivanhoe, “Something as simple as doing an exam on your body may save your life.” The Shade Foundation facts show that skin cancer accounts for more than half of all cancers in the United States. Those who are at high risk are: people with light hair and blue/green eyes, fair complexion, several moles on their bodies, suppressed immune system, sun sensitive skin. Those who have a family history of cancer, or a couple of close relatives with skin cancer, are more at risk. The American Cancer Society proves that one in five Americans will develop some sort of skin cancer, and five or more sunburns double your risk of developing cancer. Watch out!
PREVENTION TIPS: Prevention is crucial in the reduction of skin cancer. Being sun smart and well informed on how to best protect yourself can mean life or death.
Protect your baby by: covering your baby up with a sun hat, long- sleeved shirt, SPF of at least 15, limiting sun exposure, using an umbrella for shade, using a carriage with a hood, covering up on cloudy days and setting the right example by applying your own sunscreen.
Protect your toddler by: making your child apply his or own sunscreen, give a reward for children putting on sunscreen, make being sun smart a part of their daily routine
Protect yourself by: limiting time in the sun, seeking shade, covering up with clothing, hats, sun glasses, wearing sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB rays, and examining your skin.
SMART WOMAN CONTACT:
http://www.shadefoundation.org
