Dedicated to the Passing of Sterling Brisbin

I got several emails today from team members I've worked with in the past about a fellow work colleague, Sterling Brisbin, who passed away in the past week of Melanoma.  I'm not sure of the details of his situation but I thought it was important to talk about it.  Her is a bit of information from Wikipedia:

Melanocytes produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. These cells predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye (see uveal melanoma). Melanoma can originate in any part of the body that contains melanocytes.
Melanoma is less common than other skin cancers. However, it is much more dangerous if it is not found early. It causes the majority (75%) of deaths related to skin cancer.^[3] Worldwide, doctors diagnose about 160,000 new cases of melanoma yearly. In women, the most common site is the legs and melanomas in men are most common on the back.^[4] It is particularly common among Caucasians, especially northwestern Europeans living in sunny climates. There are high rates of incidence in Oceania, Northern America, Europe, Southern Africa, and Latin America,^[5] with a paradoxical decrease in southern Italy and Sicily.^[6] This geographic pattern reflects the primary cause, ultraviolet light (UV) exposure^[7] crossed with the amount of skin pigmentation in the population.^[8][9]




We in Australia are very AWARE of UV exposure and teach the kids to always put a hat on and cover up when in the sun.  When in Hawaii this last  week we definitely noticed that we were the only ones that seemed to cover up when in the sun and playing in the water.    SLIP SLOP SLAP campaign has been highly successful:

Slip-Slop-Slap is the iconic and internationally recognised sun protection campaign prominent in Australia during the 1980s. Launched by Cancer Council Victoria in 1981,^[1] the Slip! Slop! Slap! campaign features a singing, dancing Sid Seagull encouraging people to reduce sun exposure and protect themselves against an increased risk of skin cancer.^[2] Sid had Australians slipping on long sleeved clothing, slopping on sunscreen and slapping on a hat. This successful program was funded by public donations.
The health campaign was extended in later years by the SunSmart to encourage the use of sunglasses and shade. That is:

Slip on a shirt, Slop on the 30+ sunscreen, Slap on a hat, Seek shade or shelter, Slide on some sunnies. - "Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide"

By this stage, however, the skin cancer aware message of the campaign had successfully been absorbed into the Australian psyche.^[3]

Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAu5wCTEBt0

Dedicated to Sterling Brisbin, (1962-2013)