Pleasanton, CA (PRWEB) June 06, 2012
Twisted Silver, a San Francisco Bay Area based independent jewelry line, honored stage four metastatic melanoma survivor, Christina McEvoy, with the Defining Girl Award this month for her unbeatable faith and courage in her personal battle against cancer as well as her self-less ingenuity in founding of Sol Survivors Melanoma Foundation, a community awareness and survivor support organization. Twisted Silver recognizes women who define their lives through their efforts to make a difference in their lives and in their communities and is happy to present this award to Christina.
Christina McEvoy was a swim instructor and lifeguard in her teen and early adult years in the Bay area. When Christina was 30 years old, a mother of a 3 year old and 7 months pregnant with her second child, she came face-to-face with the tragic results of all those hours unprotected in sunlight. She was diagnosed with melanoma. Fortunately, at the time of her initial diagnosis, surgery was all that was required to remove the cancer. But in 2010, the cancer returned and she was diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Melanoma. The most dangerous of skin cancers had rapidly spread to other parts of her body. She had a 5% chance of surviving one year.
Four years later with her cancer in remission, Christina did far more than just survive. She has discovered her life’s mission in making a difference to others. She was recently honored with the Courage Award by the Melanoma Research Foundation at their annual Wings of Hope for Melanoma gala in San Francisco early this May for her tremendous strength in her battle with melanoma. In her humility she doesn’t really understand why she’s being honored, but in an interview with Christina – it becomes very clear why she was recognized by the Melanoma Research Foundation as well as an unmistakable winner of Twisted Silver’s Defining Girl Award.
Faced with a slim chance of living the next year, she chose to act. She’s a frequent speaker at American Cancer Society and other events. She continually speaks at high school and community education classes, raising awareness of melanoma. She and two of other melanoma survivors have founded their own non-profit organization to be raise awareness for melanoma, but also be a beacon of hope to others diagnosed with melanoma. She shares her story and supports others with the same diagnosis. She readily admits that cancer helped her realize how important it is to serve others in life. Amidst all of that, she never loses sight of her main purpose: being a wife to her husband and mother to her two little ones. Her tenacity, courage and deep faith are inspiring to anyone in any struggle. Her desire to make a difference while wading in a threatening personal crisis is a radiating beauty worth celebrating.
Christina said, “When my cancer metastasized, I had an epiphany. I realized that I had been handed a challenge, and it wasn’t just for me to survive or not only for me to grow as a person. I realized that I was given the task to help other people. I just knew it in my heart.”
And help other people she certainly has. Together with her survivor friends, she created a support system for melanoma patients and survivors as well as founded an awareness and education program in Boise, Idaho. She co-founded Sol Survivors Melanoma Foundation “Sol” as in sun.
Her mission is to connect melanoma survivors from all over the world.
She said, “When I was told my diagnosis and prognosis, I wanted to hear stories of people who already went through it. I wanted to be inspired, supported, understood. On our website we call those people “Sol Mates”. Connection and support are so important. We want to be not just a helpful resource, but a hopeful one.”
Read more about Christina’s miraculous story of survival and charity in her interview at http://www.twistedsilver.wordpress.com
Twisted Silver is a Bay Area based independent jewelry line founded and designed by Debra Mitchell. Twisted Silver jewelry has ignited excitement in fashion designers, stylists, Hollywood celebrities, and countless chic-savvy women across the globe. http://www.twisted-silver.com
Defining Girl is a group founded by Twisted Silver, that supports, encourages and celebrates women and girls who define their lives by using their unique talents for the good of the world.