Creation of SCARF
Sherri had been a registered nurse for over a decade, working in the ER and ICU before turning her focus to Oncology nursing. She was an inspiration and resource for many people in the health care field in both her nursing and oncology professions. She was a Mother, Wife, Daughter, Sister and Great Friend to many people. After Sherri’s passing in 2006, family & friends got together and realized they didn’t want to see her death go in vain. This disease stopped the life of a very beautiful, fun loving, intellectual, passionate and warm person.The family wants to provide a legacy so that Sherri will never be forgotten. A legacy that will impact many lives in a positive way. Sherri had an incredible spirit for life. She was an inspiration for many people and had a passion for experiencing life to its fullest!
SCARF will continue in the same spirit, inspiration and passion. Sherri did her own research when first diagnosed in 1996. She spent countless hours on the internet and phone talking to various doctors trying to identify available options and the next step. In conducting her research, the complexity of finding the right treatment options, and availability of where these treatments could be done became clear. Excluding any medical or travel costs, each option had its own advantages and disadvantages. If people have the ability to reference a reliable, accurate and updated resource, we will be successful in educating and providing awareness to not only patients in various stages, but to people researching melanoma as well. Our ultimate goal is to educate people early to help prevent the disease.
Founding Principles
SCARF is founded on the concept of supporting the general public with information about melanoma skin cancer. If others can learn from Sherri's research, her experience, and live longer because of SCARF, then we have succeeded in our goals.
SCARF makes no recommendation on treatment, as any cancer treatment is a personal choice of the patient. With over 20-plus years in oncology background and personal experience with the disease, SCARF’s executive team has crafted a culture that believes ‘information’ and ‘education’ are just as important, if not more, for the prevention of this type of skin cancer, than any current treatment can offer. Although most of us know someone who has been diagnosed with and possibly died of cancer, when people are asked about melanoma, not enough is understood. However melanoma is a significant concern. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 59,000 new cases of melanoma where reported in 2006 in the US; 8,100 will die from this disease.
