The Youth Education program is an initiative targeting the increasing incidence of melanoma amongst young Australians.
School based education forums are central to the programs strategy of changing the image driven tanning culture all too common throughout our communities. Programs are underway and in further development within Queensland’s public and private schools.
The program also utilises extensive social media platforms to raise awareness of the importance of sun protection and early detection through creative strategies across:
Fostering a cultural shift towards sun smart practices, include the promotion of:
Wes Bonny’s story demonstrates the importance of educating young Australian’s on the
dangers of melanoma.
The program has been named in honour of Kelly Hay-Hartley who was diagnosed with malignant melanoma during her final year of schooling.
Kelly was 17 when she had a mole removed from her right shoulder. The biopsy tested positive for malignant melanoma. Further surgery failed to find any further evidence of the cancer, leaving her family feeling she had beaten the deadly disease. However, four years later, the melanoma returned in the form of brain tumours. Sadly, Kelly passed away in February 2008, she was aged 22.
Kelly’s courage in enduring the worst of stage 4 melanoma has inspired the work of the foundation in sharing her story and educating young Australians as to the dangers of melanoma as a life threatening disease.
