Raising awareness for melanoma
raising awareness for Melanoma by shaving my head
Auckland
On Saturday 4th November i will be shaving my head for Melanoma NZ.
I recently had a scare when a friend noticed a mole lookalike on my neck and said i should get it seen to ASAP as it looked really bad.
This was a Friday morning and next available appointment wasn't until Wednesday the following week.
So i spent all weekend and start of the new week thinking the worst, as i tend to do.
I had noticed this mole lookalike grow a little each year but still didn't do anything about it.
Thinking "she be right" attitude is wrong and can lead to major illness on day, if i'm not careful.
Luckily for me it turned out to be nothing major, and was freeze dried off.
However this is the wrong attitude to take, we need to get onto it right away before it gets much worse.
So my plan is to raise awareness "Do not to leave it" :)
Grant Kearney's involvement (page creator)
Hi Im a 54 year male living in Auckland who wants to give back to the community and raise awareness for melanoma.
"she'll be right" is not the answer nor is pretending somethings not there when it is.
Go and get it checked out, dont leave :)
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UPDATE 11 OCTOBER
When was the last time you had a mole check?
last Sunday was sitting at church chatting to the couple next to me. I was telling them about me shaving my head for melanoma and the reason i was doing it was to raise awareness.
we were chatting about how woman have regular check ups but men don't. I mentioned that i see the breast screen van in Orewa all the time.
We had a laugh over if it was a prostrate check it would be empty as men wont go.
For me its not about the money. Yes i have set an amour to raise however i'm still getting my head shaved whether i reach the target or not.
Its about raising awareness and not leaving it and hoping it will go away.
I don't want people to do what i did. I had a mole look-a-like on my neck which seemed to get bigger every year but i left it.
Now looking back was a stupid and foolish thing to do as it could have been worse.
It wasn't until my boss at work put the fear of god into me by saying that it looked bad and i should do something abut it ASAP that i finally did and went to see a skin specialist.
It wasn't a mole and he freeze dried it off.
I quite often hear people say" if only they had caught it sooner" and that could easily have been me.
So don't leave it have regular skin check ups, it could just save your life.
Please share this message so we can get it out to as many as we can.
Thank you
Kindest reagrds
Grant
P.s i have set up a givealittle page if you would like to donate if not thats ok however please share this message thank you
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Latest update
Countdown plus 1 day 5 November 2017
Yesterday went awesome. Karen Gray aka Kaz and the team at the Man Cave made me feel relaxed. I go there early as i do and we chatted and waited for others to turned up.
Shave was quick and painless.
Samantha Emerson had text me earlier in the morning to say good luck and to keep still and don't lose an ear lol. I can fidget sometimes if i'm feeling nervous, which i was before hand.
But Kaz was professional and it all went smoothly.
Prior to the shave i went into the Women's Refuge Op shop which is in the same block as the Man Cave and found a cap to wear, if i felt i needed it.
But surprising i haven't worn it yet.
My head is a lot cooler now, didn't realize have thick my hair had grown and how hot it was. Last night dancing at RSA I didn't get as hot as I usually do.
This now is not only a new look for me but also a new way in how i see myself. I think everyone has a part that they like about themselves, whether its there eyes or there smile or there legs. For me it was my hair. Why i tt grow long, as it blonds i felt it made me more attractive. I don't feel i'm attractive or handsome so i let my blonde locks grow long. When i was younger i used to have a fringe so i could hide behind it.
Why i had been feeling nervous about getting my head shaved was for two reasons...
1. Would it look ok? Would there be bumps and scars from my childhood? Would it be a funny shape?
2. When my head is shaved i will look at myself differently. If i thought my blonde hair made me attractive then what would happen when its shaved off? How would i feel about myself then? Would i think i was now ugly?
However after wards i didn't put my cap on, didn't feel i needed too. Jacquie and i met at Hollywood in Silverdale for coffee and i didn't feel awkward or anything. There were a couple from Rocknroll there and i chatted to them till Jacquie arrived and didn't feel out of place.
Last night went to RSA and again nothing, no feelings of shame or been awkward. Everyone commented and congratulated me on what i have done.
I would like to say a big thank you to Jacquie Gill Christine Jaineand Kath Carney for coming along and supporting me and taking photos and videos. I really appreciated it.
The campaign runs till 15th December so still time to donate if you would like too.
with warmest regards
Grant
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