When former port worker Jason Hooker was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma in January this year, his whānau had just celebrated the news that their 19-year-old son, Mikes, had gone into remission after a seven-year battle with brain and spine cancer.
In this issue, we share the heartfelt story of Jason Hooker, who only just got through his 19-year-old son’s seven-year cancer journey when he was diagnosed with melanoma earlier this year. Jason and his whānau are now juggling his illness with finding ways to pay for his treatment.
We also share a very moving account by Anita Kooge, who, many years on from her son Jeff’s untimely death at the age of 23, is supporting our call for PHARMAC funding for melanoma drugs so others don’t have to suffer the way Jeff did.
We are so appreciative of Melanoma New Zealand Founding Patron, Lynn Stratford, for generously sponsoring the Tactix ball delivery opportunity, creating a platform for us to share our lifesaving messages about melanoma prevention and early detection.
Lidgard Shades Managing Director Adam Wilson was given a special afternoon tea when he visited the winners of our 2022 Get Spotted schools' competition, The Cottage Kindergarten in Invercargill, recently. Late last year, Adam headed down to do a site visit and award...
Queenstown businessman Matthew Rose recently began the arduous task of walking the length of the South Island as a means of self-discovery combined with philanthropy. Starting on 20 February, Matthew headed southbound on the Te Araroa Trail, starting at the historic...
Once again, our Melanoma New Zealand Spot Check Van was very busy at the latest Mystery Creek Fieldays, where our nurses saw 745 people and found 106 suspicious lesions during the four-day event. Pulling off such a great result was due to the team’s effort to manage...
Our first issue of Spot News for 2023.
Talented Taranaki musician Susanne Taylor recently held a charity concert in loving memory of her late husband Sean Taylor, who passed away 22 years ago from melanoma. To commemorate what would have been Sean’s 60th birthday, Susanne (who performed under her brand...
Ben McGaffney, had to move to Australia to receive funded treatment for stage 3 melanoma that is not funded in New Zealand. Inequitable access to drugs is contributing to hundreds of New Zealanders dying from melanoma each year, and Ben’s story brings home the reason why Melanoma New Zealand continues to lobby for earlier funding and improved patient access to these often lifesaving or life-extending treatments.