Jennifer’s Story: Why She’s Spent 12 Years Fighting for Melanoma Research

Guest blog post by Jennifer Ruiz, Melanoma Thriver and Team Captain of Life is Sweet from our Los Angeles Miles for Melanoma 5K event:

“In 2012, I was diagnosed with desmoplastic melanoma on the mucosal membrane of a nerve in my left mandible. I underwent a free-flap surgery that involved removing my left mandible and reconstructing it using my left fibula. This was a 10-hour surgery followed by a seven-day hospital stay. After surgery, I completed 30 radiation treatments. 

Over the next seven years, I underwent 15 additional surgeries. While these procedures were reconstructive, the radiation significantly limited how much could safely be done at one time. I have been NED since my initial surgery. After completing semi-annual scans for the first five years, I now continue with annual scans. 

Over the past 12 years, our Life Is Sweet team has raised more than $60,000 for Miles for Melanoma. My family and I work year-round to raise funds and educate others about melanoma. We create fabric bags and marker/colored-pencil holders that we sell at craft fairs. Each item includes a tag that shares a brief summary of my story, and we display our Miles for Melanoma sign at every event. Nearly every time, people stop to share how melanoma has affected them or someone they love. 

Raising money for melanoma research is deeply important to me. When I was diagnosed, there were only two medications available to treat melanoma, and outcomes were often poor. Today, there are countless treatment options and combinations. A close friend of mine—one of the only other people I know with desmoplastic melanoma—is alive today because of TIL therapy. After many unsuccessful treatments, TIL was her last option. 

Multiple times each year, friends reach out to me seeking guidance for a loved one newly diagnosed with melanoma. Some have thankfully survived, while others have not—often because the cancer was caught too late. These experiences continue to reinforce why advocacy, education and research matter so much to me. 

I raise money to help find a cure and give others a fighting chance until a cure is found.”