Dear Readers,

Did you know that skin cancer is the most prevailing cancer diagnosis?  Melanoma is the most serious. 

It’s so important that those affected by Melanoma have a place they can turn to for support and information about this devastating disease. 

Today I am talking to an admin from the Facebook group, Melanoma Support Ireland.

Please welcome Kay

I am a 45 yr old mother of 3 from Southern Ireland. I first got diagnosed with early stage malignant melanoma in 2004 just 6 months after the birth of my third child. It was a horrible time as my children were all under the age of 7. I remained well for just over 10 years when the original cancer metastasized and became stage 4. I started on a new targeted drug therapy that was two years ago this month and I have been doing very well since then but I am not out of the woods and being realistic I never will be now. This has been difficult to accept but I have had great support from close family, good friends and my new friends at Melanoma Support Ireland and Melanoma Patient Network Europe (MPNE). I get updates on all the latest information on my condition and there is always someone to talk to that understands what it’s like for me because they are patients too or caring for someone who is a patient.

I also have a website, Melanoma In Me

Please tell the readers a little about the group.

Melanoma Support Ireland is a Facebook support group for patients, carriers and family members affected by a diagnosis of Melanoma living in Ireland. We have just under 200 members and many members chat daily and share information about our disease.

What inspired you to become an admin of this group?

I became an admin because I wanted to do something tangible to help, I also advocate on behalf of Melanoma patients and I am a member of a European Network called Melanoma Patient Network Europe. Being part of these organizations helps me to make informed decisions about my disease care and helps me to feel I am contributing to help others in a similar situation.

What would you like this group to accomplish?

The group will continue to grow unfortunately. That is the sad reality of Melanoma, the numbers are set to increase. I hope the group will continue to be a safe space for patients to talk and share their troubles, but that also we can help to lobby for changes within the system that is supposed to support us but so often falls short of its duties.

Thank you Kay for taking the time to tell us about this most important group.

Click on the link to find this Facebook group – Melanoma Support Ireland

Click on the link to visit the website – Melanoma In Me

*This blog post is part of the Blogging From A-to-Z Challenge (2017)

*The internet is a useful tool for creating online support groups. Please lend a helping hand by sharing this blog post in the hopes it reaches someone who may benefit from this group. 

*If you are interested in sharing your Facebook group with my readers please email me at pluckingofmyheartstrings@gmail.com

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