April Moran, LCSW-C is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adolescents, adults and families. As a member of the Claire Marie Foundation Medical Advisory, she offers this insight for young cancer patients – and anyone seeking help in coping with the uncertainty that is COVD-19.

This week is Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week, yet this year the focus for any adolescent or young adult is different.  Their focus might be on how their treatment has been interrupted and or put on hold due to the COVID 19 crisis.  Expected anxiety about their cancer diagnosis has been replaced with anxiety about access to treatment.  The thing is, cancer doesn’t quiet down or go to sleep just because hospitals and treatment centers are either now a place of high risk for our youth or shut down all together.  It’s as if a banner saying “I’m living with uncertainty x10” is flying over them.  Read on to get some answers.

• Look at your thoughts.  Finding a way to accept this current COVID situation and manage our feelings of powerlessness without falling into despair is of immediate importance right now.  We don’t get to choose what is happening, but we get to choose how we respond to it.  When we feel powerless, our power is always in how we respond.  This concept drew me to cognitive therapy as a young therapist.  Our thoughts directly create our emotions.  If you have the thought “this is awful, and I can’t handle it”, you will undoubtably feel anxious and afraid.  If you change your thought to “I’ve had lots of challenges before.  I don’t like this uncertainty, but I’m finding ways to handle it one day at a time”, you will feel less anxious and possibly hopeful.  As someone battling cancer, the feeling of hope is important to your physical and mental health.

• Create Meaning and Practice Gratitude.  One of the ways we can choose to cope is to do things that create meaning.  Martin Seligman is a therapist I have long admired.  He talks about how when we pursue meaning (starting a peer support group) and connect (reaching out to other adolescents and young adults with cancer to check on them) we will experience positive emotion.  This is the control we do have.  As a therapist,  I often ask my young clients going through times where they experience high levels of powerlessness to practice gratitude.  This video by Dr. Sood best illustrates what I’m talking about.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZZ0zpUQhBQ

• Do something you are good at.  Another important way to manage during this time and give you a sense of control is to do something you are good at once a day.  It could be anything from yoga to making others laugh.  You will feel a quick surge in your mood.

• Set up “worry time”. Sometimes despite all efforts – worry and “what if” thoughts seep into our minds.  Sometimes it feels impossible not to worry.  Set up a “worry time” for about 15 minutes a day at the same time, every day.  This is called containment and will help you let go of your worry and stay more present in your day when it’s not “worry time”.  When worries inevitably come, acknowledge them, do your best to remind yourself about worry time and shift your attention to connecting with others, distracting yourself with a movie or doing anything that brings meaning.  This will help you stay more present and connected in the moment.  

• Connect-even if you don’t feel like it.  Last but probably most important, try to virtually connect with others.  Group time is essential and helps everyone feel that connection to others – that need to be included.  Being “part of a tribe” goes back to early survival and not getting eaten by wildlife.  It was physically safe to be part of a tribe.  Evolution is slow and our brains still register physical danger even if the danger now is emotional.  Right now, with the need to isolate, we are having a very high stress response to being alone and apart from our tribe.  Teens and young adults with cancer need to create ways to connect more than ever.  

There will be a time when things return to “normal”.  Your treatment will get back on track and you will find new ways to adapt for now.  Having hope gives you the courage to survive.  Take this one moment at a time, one hour at a time, one day at a time.

For more information or to contact April Moran, explore her website

April Moran, LCSW-C

http://www.anxietycbt.com

What is 10 minutes worth to you? We’re talking about 600 seconds. That’s roughly the length of time it takes to get your latte from your favorite barista.  It’s probably the same amount of time it takes to peruse your social media feeds or to shop for a couple of items on Amazon. It’s also the length of time it takes to get a full body, dermascopy based skin screening.  10 minutes that could save your life. You’re worth it right?

Since 2016, the Claire Marie Foundation has offered free skin screenings to nearly 1000 young people in Maryland. Of those,  more than 14% have been found to have atypical moles that needed biospy for suspicion of melanoma.   In 2019, we were able to take our screenings on the road by teaming with our CMF Collegiate Ambassadors at the College of Charleston and  Germaine Dermatology  in Mount Pleasant South Carolina where 50% of those college students screened required biospy for suspicion of melanoma.  Yes,  early stage melanomas have been found – often in moles that looked perfectly normal to the naked eye.  Those patients will tell you it’s the best 10 minutes ever spent! 

Melanoma diagnosis has increased 253% in the last 40 years in young people where it can develop for reasons that often have nothing to do with the sun! Melanoma can be the result of genetic, hormonal or immune related conditions.  It is the second most common cancer in adolescents, the number one diagnosed cancer in young adults under 29 and top cause of cancer death in women 25-30.  The Claire Marie Foundation is leading the charge in developing  melanoma prevention programs for adolescents and young adults. In fact we are the only non-profit in the U.S.  to turn a spotlight exclusively on this age group!

Melanoma is one of the most preventable of cancers. All it takes is a new mindset and simple life style changes.  Pretty simple huh?  What goes on at a Claire Marie Free Screening? Just take a look!

When is the next CMF Free Skin Screening? So glad you asked!  We’re working on that right now!  Details and locations  will be announced  both here on clairemariefoundation.org and our social media sites.  Check back as the appointments go fast!

In the meantime, if you have any concerns, contact a dermatologist who uses dermascopy for routine screenings immediately. Wear SPF 30 – 50 daily and apply every two hours when out in the sun. Adding UPF 50 clothing is always a  great idea!  Take care of your skin. Take care of you.  Be aware. Because #awarenesssaveslifes  #livelifelikeclaire!

The world is full of colorful, vibrant possibilities for Edina Hiser.  With the whirlwind of graduation behind her, the 2015 inaugural recipient of the Claire Marie Foundation Scholarship in Arts and Design has a degree from the University of Southern California School of Dramatic Arts in hand and a portfolio brimming with four years of theatrical work.  Los Angeles is now her home as she launches her career.  It is a long way from the halls of Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson Maryland where this self described “art kid” immersed herself in art classes, the school’s annual fashion show and any other creative outlet available which would allow her to tell stories in visual ways. 

As a high school classmate and design collaborator of Claire Wagonhurst, Edina decided to use the scholarship award in her friend’s name to help offset the cost of college tuition at USC where she had chosen to major in Theatre Design with Costume and Scenic Design becoming  the two emphasis components for her major field of study. 

USC’s School of Dramatic Arts puts on an astounding twenty-two productions per year, which created the perfect environment for Edina to consistently express her many talents.  During her four years, Edina served as both Assistant and Lead Costume and Assistant and Lead Scenic Designer on an extremely impressive number of theatrical productions, including well-known shows like West Side Story, Twelfth Night, Cabaret, and Spring Awakening.rst

Now that this uber talented young lady has her USC undergraduate degree in hand, she is living in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future and is currently focusing on building her artistic network and reaching out to the many contacts she accumulated throughout her time in school. She recently worked on an Emmy event for STARZ, the premium cable and satellite television network, and got some on-set experience as a costumer for an independent feature film. 

As a young artist who possesses such an extensive array of talents, Edina presently finds it difficult to narrow down a singular goal or job, when asked about where she envisions herself in the coming five years. “I enjoy the thought of going down unexpected paths. I’d eventually love to work on a big feature film, but I realize that each step towards that is a goal in and of itself. I’d also be perfectly content to remain strictly working in the theatre environment.”

What she does know for certain is that she finds joy in all sorts of storytelling, a theme that weaves its way through all of her artistic endeavors. For anyone who might question why she’s willing to take a risk on a career in the arts, where success can seem so chancy and fleeting, she responds as the true artist that she is, “Doing this kind of work is hard, grueling actually. I’ve never seen people work harder than the ones I came to know and work with in the theatre over the past four years at USC. You absolutely need to have a passion for it. And I just can’t imagine myself doing anything else.”

She went on to explain, “As a person who has always been incredibly touched by the work of storytellers, I love the idea of being able to continue the tradition through my own unique lens.  People look to art for answers and it brings them so much joy and meaning in times of hardship. Being able to provide even a little piece of that is a dream of mine.” 

Edina has, and continues to, find inspiration for her creative work from the people she calls her mentors, both her theatre professors from USC, whom she admirably describes as gifted teaching and working professionals, and from her fellow graduates and those friends still studying at USC, many of whom she now considers to be her West Coast family. 

As for her special connection to the Claire Marie Foundation, Edina is so proud and grateful to have been the first beneficiary of their Arts and Design scholarship. 

“I have loved watching how the Wagonhurst family has grown this foundation over the past four years. To see their heartbreaking loss, evolve into an organization that is not only doing great work, but is so full of love and support for the entire Notre Dame Preparatory Class of 2015, and the school community, is just wonderful.” 

Edina feels that the foundation’s support of the arts is one of the best uses of Claire’s name and is perfectly fitting for her lasting legacy. Claire, just like Edina, loved color and texture, and knew that those elements could bring joy to people’s lives and make the world a better and brighter place. 

Keep your eye on Edina Hiser, who’s artistic storytelling may very well be coming soon to a theatre near you.

https://www.edinahiserdesigns.com/

We just want to send a big shout-out to Margaret “Maggie” Franz who has been selected as the 2019 Recipient of the Claire Marie Scholarship in Arts & Design!  Maggie is off this fall to Savannah College of Arts and Design where she will immerse herself in fashion and costume design.

Every year since 2015, the award is given to a graduating senior from Claire’s alma mater, Notre Dame Preparatory School in Towson, Maryland to support the recipient’s desire to study the design arts in college. It was a dream of Claire’s to launch a career in interior design and we are thrilled to see other young women share the same passion and excitement. Each year, our winners are selected by an exquisite team of noted design professionals from across the country! They bring expertise in fashion, theatrical, animation, interiors, illustration and fine arts. Our thanks to our CMF Scholarship Committee; Katie Fico with Walt Disney Animation Studio, Los Angeles based Interior Designer Stacey Vuduris, Illustrator Inslee Haynes Fariss, Danielle DiFerdinando of Danielle Nicole Handbags and Jewelry, Theatrical Designer Timothy Swiss of Los Angeles and Maryland’s First Lady and MICA Educator Advocate, Mrs. Yumi Hogan.  We just loved celebrating with Maggie and her mom Kathy!

NCAA Athletic Trainers have a lot to worry about when it comes to their players; ACL , meniscus and achilles tears, concussions, fractures, de-hydration, the list goes on and on.

But as we begin to wrap up the 2018 College Football season and focus on the Bowl games and the National Championship, a spotlight has been directed to a medical concern for athletes that has nothing to do with what happens on the field.

Vanderbilt University and University of Kentucky, both teams in the SEC, have faced this season without key players; two young warriors, two separate teams, facing the same battle off the field. For both, the opponent is melanoma. For both, they are facing the battle of their life.

Turner Cockrell, a redshirted sophomore from Georgia is a tight-end at Vanderbilt University. A year ago, at the conclusion of the 2017 season,  he noticed lumps in his neck. Melanoma was diagnosed and he underwent radiation treatments for 20 consecutive weeks. In July, scans showed the melanoma had spread to his lungs. Turner is undergoing treatment at MD Anderson in Houston.  https://bit.ly/2z8UkvR

Josh Paschal, a Sophomore Defensive End at the University of Kentucky and Maryland native, was diagnosed in August after the team’s sharp-eyed athletic trainer spotted lesions on his foot. Biopsy revealed Josh had indeed developed melanoma. After surgery, skin grafts and treatment, Josh is now able to get back on the field for some conditioning – although not yet ready to suit up. https://bit.ly/2qMxp5f

Melanoma is the second most common cancer in young people 8-19 with those numbers jumping in young adults to make it the most common cancer in those under the age of 29.   Genetics and hormonal changes contribute to development of the disease, but excessive UV/UVB sun exposure remains the greatest risk – especially for athletes. A study out of Stanford University has found  a typical NCAA Athlete will spend at least four hours a day, ten months a year training or competing outdoors. Thats at least 1,200 hours a year baking in the sun. Sweating and the use of anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin, advil, motrin and aleve increases the skin’s sensitivity to ultraviolet light as do antibiotics.

What’s the solution? Awareness, education and prevention – all that we offer through the Claire Marie Foundation. You see, the simple truth is this; if detected early, melanoma is highly treatable, even preventable.  Thats why at the Claire Marie Foundation, we reach out to young adults through our Collegiate Ambassador Program where more than 100 CMF Ambassadors spread awareness and education on 43 college and university campuses nationwide.

We strive to stop melanoma before it develops through the CMF Free Skin Screening Program and are working to develop better education among those who serve students and athletes through CMF professional programs such as the Claire Wagonhurst Guest Lectureship at Johns Hopkins University.

So during the holidays, as you are cheering on your favorite team, remember Turner and Josh as they pour their incredible strength and power into the “game” that matters the most; the championship of their lives. With that victory behind them, just imagine what they will do on the field in 2019. Can’t wait for that Vanderbilt – U of Kentucky game!

I just love this photo!  Rocky and Claire, Daddy-Daughter, running her first 5K. She was in first grade and so proud! All smiles with her blond ponytail bouncing all the way to the finish line!

Long after she was forced to give up lacrosse and field hockey due to the intensity of her melanoma treatments, Claire continued to run. Be it on her school’s cross country team or as part of her determination to stay fit while fighting the “beast” – she would lace up her shoes, grab her head phones and head out the door, running to clear her mind and fill her heart. It was a bond she shared with her dad.

Rocky spent many years as a marathon runner – competing in the Baltimore Marathon numerous times as well as the Marine Corps Marathon. Claire was still in her stroller as Hillary and I pushed her along the running route to cheer him on! Although Rocky now cycles – case in point, his 630 mile Riding With Claire journey in 2015 – he was always hopeful that running was something he and Claire could do together in the years to come. Now they are, but it’s not quite as he imagined.

The Claire Marie Foundation is an official charity of the Baltimore Running Fest; one of the premiere running events on the East Coast! We are over the moon at the thought of incorporating Claire’s love of fitness with our campaign to raise awareness, clarity and hope in fighting adolescent and young adult melanoma. Rocky’s got his Relay Team set! 

Why don’t you join us! It’s October 21, 2017! Pick a race; 5K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Team Relay or even the Kid’s Run! We pay your registration fee and you help us raise funds to fight melanoma in young people. It’s that simple!

Just email us at runwithclaire@clairemariefoundation.org and we’ll get you signed right up! All you need to do is lace up your running shoes, get your friends to support your efforts, and have a blast while running to support our cause!!

To participate, each runner must raise the following minimum amount by October 5th, 2017.

Kids Fun Run: $100.00
5k – $250.00
Half Marathon – $350.00
Marathon – $500.00
Relay Team – $250.00 per runner / or $1,000.00 per team (heads-up: this event fills quickly!)

Are you inspired to raise more than the minimum dollars? Yes please! We’d love it! After all event expenses are covered, 100% of additional funds will support our mission to raise awareness, clarity, and hope in the fight against adolescent melanoma.

Each participant will receive a Claire Marie Foundation Team shirt, entry into a pre-event Team pasta dinner, and a chance at the following prizes:

• For the top Individual fundraiser (5k, Half Marathon or Full Marathon) – $1,000 travel voucher on Southwest Airlines.

• For the top Relay Team Fundraiser – $2,000 travel voucher on Southwest Airlines.

How amazing is that? Running to save young lives on a fabulous fall day! A terrific way to #LiveLifeLikeClaire!

Here’s a couple of facts you may not know:

Pediatricians and General Practitioners do not routinely study dermatology in their medical preparation. Surprise! Basically that means they are not trained to detect skin cancer and melanoma at it’s earliest point of origin. That is why it is essential to schedule an annual full body skin screening with a qualified dermatologist.

But before you book your neighbor’s favorite derm, listen to this: not all dermatologists are equally trained either. Some specialize more in the aesthetic and cosmetic care of the skin. Others  offer greater attention to the disease aspects of the skin. Then there are those who are equally balanced in both specialties.

It is up to you to ask a few questions and make sure you are scheduling an appointment with a dermatologist who meets the Gold Standard of skin screening. This is no time to be shy!

You should expect the following during a screening appointment:

• The dermatologist will put you into a gown and do a full body check for moles and any lesions. That includes the feet, nails, head and genital areas.
• Make sure the dermatologist uses dermatoscopy. It is a scoping technique that uses skin surface microscopy. It can also be called epiluminoscopy and epiluminescent microscopy. It allows the dermatologist to look into the layers, color patterns and changes deep within the mole, rather than just glancing at the surface.
• If anything atypical is found, the dermatologist will determine if it should be removed for biopsy or if it should be watched. The appropriate time period for “watching” is three months.

Many dermatologists will photograph moles they want to keep an eye on to best detect any change. Still others may recommend “mole-mapping” technology in families at high risk for the disease. This involves full body photography, but is relatively new.

Listed below are the amazing ‘Gold Standard” dermatologists in Maryland who dedicate their time and expertise to the Claire Marie Free Screening Program and meet the highest standards of care.  All are listed in alphabetical order.  Many are part of the renown teams at Johns Hopkins Dermatology, Simmons-O’Brien & Orlinsky, Belcara Health,  Maryland Dermatology, Skin & Vein and University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Hospital. 

• Dr. Melanie Adams, M.D
• Dr. Karen Beasley, M.D., F.A.A.D
• Dr. Nicola Bravo, M.D.
• Dr. Sarah Cannon, M.D.
• Dr. Bernard Cohen, M.D. 
• Dr. Sherry Cohen, M.D. 
• Dr. Brian Connolly, M.D. 
• Dr. Jennifer Cooper, M.D.
• Dr. George Denny, M.D.
• Louisa Floyd, PA-C
• Dr. Meg Gerstenblith, M.D.
• Dr. Anna Grossberg, M.D.
• Dr. Christian Halvorsen, M.D.
• Dr. Byron Ho, M.D.
• Dr. Sarah Hsu, M.D.
• Dr. Emily Kmetz, M.D.
• Dr. Dennis Kurgansky, M.D.
• Dr. Onah Lauring, M.D.
• Dr. Mark Lowitt, M.D.
• Dr. Joseph W. McGowan IV, M.D.
• Dr. Ciro Martins, M.D.
• Dr. Charlotte Modly, M.D.
• Dr. Stanley Miller, M.D.
• Lainey O’Donnell, PA-C
• Dr. Diane Orlinsky, M.D.
• Dr. Tola Oyesanya, M.D.
• Dr. Kate Puttgen, M.D.
• Dr. Saleh Rachidi, M.D.
• Dr. Rachel Schleicher, M.D.
• Dr. Amie Sessa, M.D.
• Dr. Mary Sheu, M.D.
• Dr. Eva Simmons – O’Brien, M.D., F.A.A.D
• Dr. Saif Syed, M.D.
• Dr. Zain Syed, M.D.
• Dr. Samantha Vincent, M.D.
• Dr. Vadim Villareol, M.D.
• Dr. Margaret Weiss, M.D., F.A.A.D.
• Dr. Robert Weiss, M.D., F.A.A.D.
• Dr. Rena Zuo, M.D. 

I got a call last week. The voice was unfamiliar, but the anxiety and frustration was well known to my heart. It was a mom who just found out her 14 year old daughter had melanoma; a stranger calling from California, frightened and frustrated about the lack of information offered by  her daughter’s dermatologist. An in situ melanoma was found in a mole her daughter had since birth. It was on an area of her breast that always well covered. Her daughter never tanned. The mole didn’t even look unusual! How could this happen?

I told her that “surprise” factor was the nature of adolescent melanoma and her story was all too familiar.  Melanoma in young people simply is not the same as adult melanoma which is why it is so often missed or misdiagnosed in young people. Fortunately, they found it quite early on her daughter and follow-up surgery was already scheduled. This California mom shared that she was thrilled to find The Claire Marie Foundation website, our research and possibly some answers about her daughter’s melanoma; the disease the medical professionals ignorantly believed her daughter was too young to get.

Calls such as this validates the mission of the Claire Marie Foundation. We wish someone had been there to warn us about the risk of melanoma in adolescents, children and young adults. We wish someone would have compiled and shared the warning signs and the nuances of detection. We especially wish we had faster access to removal of any and all atypical moles since melanoma grows faster and is more invasive in young people.

It takes more than sunscreen to stop this form of melanoma. Routine screening and early detection is the key, but getting a dermatological appointment can be the problem with an average wait time of three months.

Thats why the Claire Marie Foundation partners with top dermatologists to offer free skin screenings to young people. In 2017, we hosted four free screening events in April and May to anyone between the ages of 8-21 years old. Of the nearly 300 young people screened, 10% were found to have atypical moles with biopsy recommended for suspicion of melanoma. Happily, that is a decrease from our 2016 screenings, were dermatologists found 20% of the 120 young people screened had atypical moles with biopsy recommended.

These figures prove our awareness and prevention programs are working. Knowing melanoma can develop genetically or due to hormonal changes in puberty and pregnancy, screening is the best way to catch the disease before it develops – when a mole is just atypical or beginning to change. Remove the mole – remove the risk.

Equally important is the need to maintain a healthy, sun-safe,  preventive lifestyle!  Ditch the tanning booths, keep slathering on the sunscreen and invest in some UPF50 clothing.  Do it all with style and a smile, and #LiveLifeLikeClaire!