Do you get overwhelmed in a doctor’s office? Join the club! Maybe it’s the all the diplomas on the wall, the hurried staff or the drafty paper gown you have been reduced to wearing. Hey! Remind yourself of this reality; the doctor works for you! Health advocacy knows no age limits, especially when it comes to melanoma in adolescents and young adults where it develops more aggressively than in older people.
Elea Vander Burgh knows that all too well. As a 17 year old high school student in Southern California, she had a gut instinct that something was wrong with a mole on her face. It had been on her eyebrow since birth, but suddenly it changed, getting bigger and changing in texture. Despite her dermatologist brushing it off as nothing, Elea stubbornly demanded the mole be removed. The result; a melanoma diagnosis that possibly saved her life.
Now studying French and Archeology at Baylor University, Elea was lucky to have caught the melanoma at an early stage. Melanoma free for two years, she now advocates for young people to listen to that quiet voice in your head. “You know your body better than anyone”, Elea says. She insists it’s no time to be shy. ” It’s not like sending back a dish at a restaurant! It’s your health!”.
You can learn more about Elea’s inspirational story of melanoma survival in the Claire Marie Podcast “ An Unexpected Life.” Elea chats with Claire Marie Co-Founder Marianne Banister about the power of self advocacy at any age, the importance of shopping for a good dermatologist, and the magic of developing a good scar story! You can find “An Unexpected Life” where you find all your favorites. Here’s a quick link: https://clairemariefoundation.org/podcast
