Howdy fellow Naked!

I want to invite you all to make a difference. A difference to the lives of patients all across Australia who like me are battling Melanoma. Melanoma is a silent beast that steals the lives of those affected and the loved ones that travel the journey with them. It steals your youth. It steals your freedom. It steals your independency. It steals your financial stability. To keep afloat of the mental battle is just as hard as fighting this cancer. 

My battle with Melanoma began at the age of 25, scared... alone and living in London! It saw me return to my home country, seek medical observation and carry on living with a shadow over my head. In May of 2013, Melanoma returned to my life. I endured many operations to my right arm and the pain of radiation therapy and  3 days before my 33rd birthday (2014) I was told that my melanoma had progressed to my internal organs and that I was facing an advanced terminal prognosis. With the assistance of immunotherapy drugs and a life transformation into clean living  and connecting with my inner-self (and the love of my partner Anthony and our healing pup Winston) I have saw reductions in all of my tumors. There is still a long road a head. I want to see many more birthdays. I want to experience many more happy moments! And I don't want to see the dark shadow that clouds my life... cloud other young people's lives.

I turned 35 on 7 February 2016! I have witnessed and become best friends with NED (No Evidence of Disease) and I have become a voice of the patient spreading awareness and support for those who face a similar prognosis like myself. For me the biggest win in my advocacy has been my involvement in spreading the awareness of drug access to immunotherapy treatments, namely Keytruda. In September 2015, we saw this very drug become available on the PBS. A drug that was financially out of reach for the average Australian, now it is helping give many the much needed time with their loved ones... while also bringing much needed hope in to their lives.

Melanoma is Australia’s National Cancer... It is fast becoming the highest cancer amongst young people.

Things are looking good at the moment for me, but the very real fact is that I may not beat this disease. And like me, there are many other young Australians face the same odds.  With the help of advanced technologies through immunotherapy access I am being granted the gift of life extension. And the opportunity to share my very real and very Naked story with the world. My biggest wish in life is that other young people do not have to face the same fate of life uncertainty as I do. And that other families and friends do not have to sit on the side line and watch the strong people they have always known and love crumble under the weight of a silent killer; that when it chooses to unleash... it does so in a very quick and inhumane fashion.

Like the last two years I have decided to March for the hope of a cure to Melanoma.  I want to make a DIFFERENCE and by doing so I have created Team Naked Gardiners' fundraising page to raise funds for melanoma research. Last year I was so honoured to be able to talk to the Brisbane Melanoma March participants and give an insight in to why days like the Melanoma March are so important to me.  In the past two years we have raised over $12000 for Melanoma Institute Australia as Team Naked Gardiners'.

Through this webpage you can easily support our team's efforts by making a secure donation. I would also really appreciate it if you could share our page above or comment below so more people know about it.  Please register and join Team Naked Gardiners' and march alongside our team! Otherwise if you wish to donate please do so by clicking 'Donate Now' to make a secure online donation. All donations over $2 are tax deductible and you will be issued with a DGR receipt via email as soon as you make a donation. And you can also go in the drawer to win a Toyota by following the prompts.

But most importantly you can read about my journey here at The Naked Gardiner and you can share this journey so that other young people truly understand the importance of being aware of melanoma and skin cancer. That tanning is just plain dumb and that cutting a cancer out isn't always the end of the story. Please spread the message that we need to respect the very beautiful and precious skin that we are in. For some of us we don't get second chances but we sure hope through the success of research and awareness campaigns, that the future do!!!!

Thank you so much for your support!

With love, light and gratitude

Kathy Gardiner, Anthony, Winston and Team Naked Gardiners' xx

www.thenakedgardiner.com