Change is Good!

Hello to all of our amazing family and friends! As you can see, there are some small changes I have made to Rach's Blog. I believe these changes are vital in order to accomplish a few things:
- The need to shift the focus to a more informational and inspirational theme vice a sad and heartbreaking theme.
- The need to make this more about her and how her story can save the lives of others by educating them.
- The ability for those using Google and other search engines to find her blog, enabling us to help others.

I really wanted to take any of the focus off of me, the author and her husband before she lost her battle to melanoma, and place it on where it needs to be - on her. I encourage those of you who have just found this blog to read it from the beginning (Nov/Dec 2009) and read it the entire way through to the end. I promise you, you will get something out of it. For those of you who are familiar with this blog, take the time to revisit some of the entries. I do from time to time; it provides me with inspiration and strength!

This past January, we passed three years since Rachel lost her battle with malignant melanoma. For some of us, it is still fresh in our minds and hearts. In the three years since her death, there have been some extremely important happenings in the areas applicable to malignant melanoma, tanning regulation, and cancer research. I will mention a few of these below.

Melanoma Treatment 2011 - A year of Milestones

Key Melanoma Issues

State & National Melanoma Issues

Some "educational" videos for you and those you love. Please pass it on! Oh, and check out a few of my blogs I follow on the left - these are written by folks who have been in the same fight we have. The videos:





I hope you enjoy the changes and the new attitude "Team Rachel" will be bringing to the fight against melanoma! I will soon start adding information for this year's American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" - Team Rachel to be held in mid-May! God bless!

~Rich

The Tribute is in the Numbers

As I said before in my last entry, the support for Rach, her family, and I has been overwhelmingly amazing. Just to show you some of the numbers of people who have paid their respects to her, this is what I've been told so far:

- Over 2,000 hits on her obituary online at www.stewart-kyle.com
- Over 750 attendees at her calling hours (and many people had to wither leave due to the cold weather)
- Over 750 attendees at her funeral at St. Patrick's Catholic church in Hubbard, OH.
- Friends and family arrived from either right next door or from thousands of miles away.

These are just a few of the numerical tidbits that give me strength each day.

I want to tell you that I believe that Rachel should have a legacy, due to the amazing young woman she was. It was easy for her to impact many of us, whether we knew her or not. Now it is our turn to get the word out to the world as best we can. I need each of you to be an advocate for melanoma research and education. I went into a tanning salon today in Boardman, Ohio, just to see if there were any types of warnings about the dangers of the UVB rays that are emitted by the tanning beds. I looked for signs and for words in the enrollment packages. There was nothing. Sure, there were warnings about overexposure leading to burns, but nothing about how those UVB rays burn deeper due to their wavelength or that the overuse of tanning beds may lead to melanoma.

I think the world has to learn about her fight. The world needs to understand the dangers of tanning and how they can avoid melanoma even if they do go tanning. I would love to get a worldwide forum, like the Oprah Show or Good Morning America to tell her story and those stories of all of the victims (and survivors) or the horrible disease that is known as melanoma. Continue passing on information to your friends and families regarding these threats. I will be posting some links and videos in a few days showing other peoples' struggles as well as educational and informative sites.

Rachel impacted everyone she ever met. Let us ensure she has a much farther reaching impact. God Bless; make sure you are looking over each others' skin!

I Love you Rachel!