Awareness

I met Clare Oliver 8 years ago when I went to Australia. We haven't kept in touch ever since. It was only recently that I found out the full story of her death at the age of 26. She was diagnosed with melanoma (the most deadly form of skin cancer) at the age of 22. She had it removed surgically but it returned, with tumours found in other parts of her body. One possible cause for her getting skin cancer is because she, like many other young women, went to tanning salons in hope of acheiving a nice bronzed skin tone. When she realized the full risks of this treatment, it was already too late. During her last few weeks, she was able to gain much media attention in Australia and was able to warn the public of the dangers she was not fully made aware of when she was young. This is not about blaming the solarium industry. It is about making informed decisions. Whenever you are on the verge of doing something which makes you think "It's ok. Everyone's doing it. I'll be fine. It won't happen to me." Think again. It might not be worth it. I'm not saying everyone should now be a cancer-phobe. Just think twice before doing something you know might harm you, whether it be excessive tanning, smoking, excessive drinking, or having an unhealthy diet.

And here I was, about to write a post about regrets and how my life is so full of them, especially recently. As I read more and more about Clare's story, I was able to put things into perspective. None of my regrets were as great as Clare's.

At the same time, there appears to be another way of thinking where fairness is considered beautiful. I used to complain about my naturally tanned complexion. After hearing this story. I will no longer complain. We should all be happy with what mother nature gave us.

http://www.clareolivermelanomafund.org/