Author: Monique Bourgeacq

’18 Down & Derby

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’18 Down & Derby

ATTENTION – New Event Time & Location: 5:00 – 9:00 PM | Gather | 5540 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78756

 

You’re invited to help The Shade Project fight back against skin cancer and save lives while sporting your finest hats and bow ties, sipping mint juleps and cheering on the “most exciting two minutes in sports!”

 

Purchase Your Tickets Today!

 

Your Ticket Purchase Includes:

  • Delicious mint juleps, wine, beer and Southern Fare
  • Live viewing of the Kentucky Derby broadcast
  • Live auction and event program emceed by Ed Clements of KLBJ Radio
  • Opportunity to win amazing, one-of-a-kind auction items
  • Live music, DJ entertainment, dancing and games
  • Local racehorse meet and greet
  • Digital photo booth fun
  • Best Hat Contest
  • Complimentary valet parking by 360 Valet
  • And more!

 

Schedule of Events:

5-5:45 PM – Event Check-In and Cocktail Hour

5:46-6 PM – Live Kentucky Derby Viewing

6-6:45 PM – Dinner, Silent Auction and Live Music by our Founder, Lurleen Ladd

6:45-7:30 PM – Live Auction & Education Program

7:30-9 PM – DJ, Dancing, Casino and Derby Games

 

 

Amplify Austin Party!

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Amplify Austin Party!

Amplify Austin Party

AMPLIFY AUSTIN: I LIVE HERE. I GIVE HERE.

Join us for complimentary appetizers, prizes and a live remote by KLBJ.

Proceeds go toward our $5,000 Amplify Austin goal to help Gullet Elementary build a shade structure.

Help support our mission to prevent skin cancer and skin cancer-related deaths through sun safety education, skin cancer screenings and SHADE in public spaces

Don’t wait for the event, though! Donate to our Amplify Austin campaign today.

RSVP TODAY!

 

MOD Pizza Fundraiser!

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MOD Pizza Fundraiser!

Enjoy a meal at the Mueller Market MOD Pizza (MAP) anytime on Wednesday, January 10th, show this flyer & 20% of proceeds will be donated to The Shade Project!*

 

 

*Offer valid only on the date(s) and at the MOD location identified on this flyer. Offer valid for dine in, take out or phone orders. Not valid for online orders. MOD will donate 20% of food and beverage sales to the organization. Tax, gift cards and retail sales are excluded from the donation.
Keegan Knappert: Melanoma Angel

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Keegan Knappert: Melanoma Angel

Keegan Knappert: Melanoma Angel

From Keegan’s mom, Paula: “Keegan (which means Little Fiery one) had the ‘it’ factor since the day she was born. Throughout her life she was kind, but she was spicy. Keegan embodied goodness. She was tenacious and never gave up on her fight or helping others around her. She was unpretentious and kind. She was honest and sometimes charmingly blunt (must have been the ‘Ginger’ in her). She was positive and persevering. She was a WARRIOR and a real HERO. Click here to read more about Keegan’s life, her melanoma journey and the legacy she created with Keegan’s Kids Foundation for Pediatric Melanoma.

Crystal Henderson: Melanoma Survivor

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Crystal Henderson: Melanoma Survivor

Crystal Henderson: Melanoma Survivor

I lived in the sun as a child. I never wore sunscreen. My parents didn’t even talk about it. I always tanned and have never had a sunburn in my life. As I got older, my sun addiction grew. I was scared of tanning beds at first because I didn’t want to get skin cancer but eventually, I gave in and started tanning a couple months out of the year.

In February of 2016, I noticed a mole on my right side under my ribcage that looked a little odd and it was itching like crazy. I asked my primary doctor and she wasn’t too concerned. She said it was likely just a mole. I continued to tan, and I just put sunscreen on the mole to keep it from getting any more exposure—I know, not the brightest idea. Finally, at the end of June, I convinced them to take the mole, but I had to sign a waiver that it was for cosmetic purposes and my insurance might not cover it. A week later I got the call. My diagnosis was superficial spreading melanoma. My doctor was shocked. I cried my eyes out.

At 34 years-old I had cancer. I have three kids at home, my youngest being two at the time. I remember researching and googling and driving myself crazy. Eventually, I found a support group on Facebook and they really helped me get through my rough days. I finally got my staging. I was stage 1b. My mole was .44mm with a mitotic rate of 1 Clark’s level 4. I had a wide local excision and a sentinel lymph node biopsy. Another two weeks of waiting and my lymph nodes were clear. I now see my derm religiously every three months and have six-month check-ups with my oncologist. It’s a new normal you learn to live [with]. I never thought it would happen to me.

Carla Rake: Melanoma Survivor

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Carla Rake: Melanoma Survivor

Carla Rake: Melanoma Survivor

Growing up in the 1980’s and 90’s, sunscreen was not a priority. I used to love to lay out in the sun, covered in baby oil, getting that ‘perfect tan.’ As I grew a little older, I discovered tanning beds. I would go to the tanning salon as often as three times per week to get some color and maintain my sun-kissed glow year-round. I often took vacations to tropical beach settings so I could stay tan and keep a ‘healthy glow’.

Fast forward to August 2013—I was 41 years old. I kept overhearing a commercial about melanoma and a changing mole. This brought my attention to a mole on my abdomen that I thought was changing. So, what did I do? I asked my 9-year-old daughter what she thought. I heard the commercial a few more times before I finally called a dermatologist to schedule a check-up.

The dermatologist performed a biopsy on the mole. I went about life and started a new job. Just two days into my new job, I received the phone call that would change my life. The dermatologist’s office called and asked to see me right away. I went in on the following Monday to learn I had been diagnosed with melanoma. I have to admit, I didn’t really know what that meant. I thought I would have a quick procedure done in the doctor’s office to remove the mole. I quickly learned that is not the case. They advised me to seek care at a comprehensive cancer center, such as Fox Chase Cancer Center. Reality set in. I got to my car, did a quick Google search of melanoma and sat there crying for what seemed like hours.

September 2013 was a blur between my many meetings with oncologists, CT scans, blood work, brain MRI’s, X-rays, a PET scan, etc. My life was turned upside down. My first surgery was scheduled for October 1st of that year. Dr. Jeffrey Farma performed a wide excision to remove the cancerous tissue and to ensure it didn’t spread further. A sentinel lymph node biopsy would confirm whether it had spread to my lymph nodes. The surgery went well, and I returned home the same day. A couple of days later, I was experiencing pain and went to the emergency department at my local hospital. Although everything was fine at the incision site, the melanoma had spread to my lymph nodes. This required an additional surgery called a lymph node dissection in which all the lymph nodes were removed from my left groin. At that point, I was diagnosed stage 3A melanoma.

After spending a couple of days in the hospital, I was discharged with stitches, two drains in my leg and I was in a lot of pain. I had a home health nurse come to my house every day for approximately three months during my recovery. Recovering from this second surgery was much more difficult than the first. I contracted an infection and was re-admitted to the hospital. I missed 12 weeks of work during this time. I also developed severe swelling, called lymphedema, in my left leg as a result of having my lymph nodes removed.

I was released to go back to work right after Christmas, however, my journey was far from over. My drug therapy, called immunotherapy, began in mid-January. Unfortunately, I experienced every side effect of the interferon. Three weeks into my therapy, I decided to stop the drug. I currently see my oncologists and dermatologist every six months and my primary care doctor every three months.

I’ve been fortunate to have no recurrence of melanoma but did have a basal cell carcinoma removed. I have become an advocate for melanoma research and for sun safety. With trips to Capitol Hill, I have told my story in hopes to help others. One of the blessings that have come out of this ordeal is meeting other melanoma warriors who have gone through similar journeys. Together, we hope to make a difference. I am back to work full-time and have even managed to run several 5K races. Our lives have changed in many ways and we are now a sun-smart family. We can be seen outside wearing hats, sunglasses, and sunblock and seeking shade at every opportunity. I am proud to say I am currently NED—no evidence of disease.

Mariano Fragoso: Melanoma Angel

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Mariano Fragoso: Melanoma Angel

Mariano Fragoso: Melanoma ANGEL

In July 2017, I started to present some symptoms including headaches, numbness in my arms and legs, weight loss throughout the year and constant fatigue. My doctor told me to consult a dermatologist since the medical checkup revealed a suspicious mole on my back. The dermatologist suggested a biopsy as well as a head MRI which revealed metastasis on my right temporal lobe, ending on a final diagnosis of metastatic melanoma (Stage IV), with mets to my liver, skin, and brain. I had an estimated 18% chance of survival.

I was devastated and never felt it until it was too late. Just a single melanoma that started on my back and developed to this stage without giving me any sense of warning. I was wondering if it was worth it to fight, but I started looking to so many people sharing their experiences and that gave me the hope that I needed. I can tell there’s no better treatment than people around that completely understand it, live it and share it.

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

Update: We are sad to share since posting his story that Mariano has passed away.

’17 Thank You Party

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’17 Thank You Party

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Thanks to your support, it’s been a fantastic 2017 and our skin cancer prevention mission is stronger than ever! Please join us to raise a toast and celebrate at our Thank You Party! You’ll enjoy a complimentary beverage + appetizers, prize winning opportunities and Taco Tuesday specials all night! And, feel great knowing the proceeds benefit SHADE!

 

CLICK HERE TO RSVP