A new national initiative launched this month by the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation (ASCF) aims to make the journey travelled by melanoma sufferers and their loved ones a little easier to navigate.  

“Melanoma Mates” aims to bring together people who are on the same journey so that they have a mate to chat to or a shoulder to lean on, said Sally Everett, an ASCF director. 

It’s a mission close to the heart of the Narromine resident and 2023 Citizen of the Year, who lost her father Lionel McGuire to melanoma in November 2021. 

The national initiative is for anyone currently navigating their way through a diagnosis and treatment or have fought a melanoma or other skin cancer, or who has lost a loved one to melanoma. 

“It’s a brand-new initiative that the foundation decided to launch in May because May is Melanoma Awareness Month,” Ms Everett said. 

“One of the pillars of the foundation is support. The foundation does run online support meetings, but we wanted to take that support to another level and make it a bit more personable where people can have that one-on-one interaction. 

“We know it is so empowering and a relief to talk to someone who is going through a similar journey to you. We also know of many people who, when connecting with others on this journey, it is the beginning of a new support network and some amazing lifetime friendships.” 

The ASCF also advocates for making skin checks more accessible and affordable so that early detection of melanoma and other skin cancers is possible, and funds melanoma clinical trials. It plans to hold two intakes annually for the Mates program, which will match those who sign up with others of a similar age, living in a similar location and experiencing a similar journey. The next intake will be in January 2024. 

How mates connect and interact will be decided by them once they have “buddied up”. The foundation will leave it up to the participants to determine how they want to engage. This may be via socials, a coffee, an in-person catch up, or a text message. 

“When they nominate or register, they can advise what their particular experience is and how they’d like to be buddied up with someone going through a similar journey, or someone of a similar age, and we’ll do our best to do that,” Ms Everett said. 

“A lot of people are saying they are just happy to be buddied up and have that connection with anybody. 

“[Cancer] can be such a lonely, scary journey. The [mates] might just catch up for a coffee, a phone conversation or connect with someone living close by. It could be someone needing a friend to go to the shop for them and they don’t have anyone else living nearby. If we can help facilitate those relationships, that’s really important as well.” 

The response to the initiative has been good so far, Ms Everett said.  

“This is our very first intake and the response has been really good. We’re getting some local people signed up and it will be an ongoing program.” 

Sally Everett with Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders.

Ms Everett said the ASCF is a relatively new organisation but aims high in what it hopes to achieve for the community. 

“As the profile of the foundation builds, the more awareness it will create about the programs we’re running.” 

Ms Everett joined the ASCF board in late 2022 following a stellar year raising awareness and funds for melanoma research following the untimely death of her father in November 2021. Her outreach efforts in the central west saw Ms Everett publicly recognised as Narromine’s Citizen of the Year in January 2023. 

Lionel McGuire passed away just a few months after his diagnosis and didn’t have the opportunity to benefit from a “Mates” program like the one the ASCF is now spearheading. 

“Had Dad’s journey been longer, [a program like this] would have helped him and the entire family,” Ms Everett said.  

“It would certainly have helped us and it was through my Googling for information [after his diagnosis] that I found the foundation. 

“What started as a grieving process has really turned into a passion of wanting to continue on with this awareness and education.” 

Catching up can happen any way that suits.

Ms Everett said being involved with the ASCF has been an incredible experience and she is thrilled to work with the other directors who share her passion and have also been personally affected by melanoma.  

While they are still keenly grieving Lionel’s loss, the extended McGuire family are committed to being involved in the work of the ASCF and continuing their journey to raise awareness and educate the community about the dangers of melanoma. Being able to talk about how people are impacted by diseases like this is an important part of the journey, Ms Everett said.  

“We just need to reduce the stigma [about reaching out for help]. It’s absolutely okay not to be okay, but just get that help to be okay,” she said. 

“You’re not as alone as it feels sometimes.” 

Further information about Melanoma Mates can be found on the ASCF website.