Jason Sessions Shares his Story ahead of #GetNakedJax Event
Guest blog post by Jason Sessions, melanoma survivor, advocate and MRF supporter:
“I would like to share with you a little story about my life and battle with melanoma. In 2012, my wife Kim and I had just finished our yearly exams with a local dermatologist. We decided we were tired of spending money on a doctor who looked at us for 30 seconds with zero regard for our health, so we decided we weren’t going back. Fast forward two years when Kim noticed a spot on her face, and we went back to the same dermatologist and was told it was nothing but a sunspot. Kim didn’t like the answer and was referred to Dr. Moon by our PA, who diagnosed her with a Basal Cell that needed immediate attention. When Kim left Dr. Moon’s office, she scheduled me for a screening as I hadn’t been in two years.
During my visit with Dr. Moon in 2014, three spots were determined to be areas of concern, and off she went cutting out biopsies to send off and get tested. A week later, Dr. Moon called to let me know that I had two spots of melanoma that needed immediate attention. Of course, me being me, I said thank you for the call and that I would be in touch after race season and after our spring ski trip. Thankfully my good friend Maurice set me straight and I was operated on the following week.
In 2016 and 2017 I was again diagnosed with two additional melanomas. The spot we found in 2016 was very concerning as it was quite large and on my neck. This time I had my surgery completed at Moffitt in Tampa to ensure we got everything. After years of clear screenings, my melanoma journey wasn’t over. In January 2026, another melanoma was detected during a routine skin check. Thankfully, it was caught early, and I received treatment at Mayo Clinic, where I underwent a successful Mohs surgery. I am currently healing well and incredibly grateful for the expert care I received.
My experience is a reminder that melanoma doesn’t always end with a single diagnosis. Ongoing skin checks, vigilance and early detection remain critical. Like many of you, what I didn’t understand in 2014 was that early detection can mean the difference between living a healthy life and having a life-threatening illness. The five-year relative survival rate from diagnosis for localized, early melanoma is over 98%, but less than 20% from melanoma that hasn’t been diagnosed early and has spread to distant sites. Melanoma is the third most common cancer among women ages 20-39 and the second most common cancer in men ages 20-39. Every eight minutes someone is diagnosed with melanoma and every hour someone dies from melanoma.
#GetNakedJax is a casual event with Jacksonville determination to fund research to help cure Melanoma and to raise awareness for skin checks. A skin check saved my life, and we want to save as many lives as possible!” – Jason Sessions
Join Jason and the MRF on Thursday, October 22, 2026, on the lawn at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL for one of Jacksonville’s best fundraising events to raise awareness and support melanoma research. To learn more the 6th annual #GetNakedJax, visit www.getnakedjax.org.