Phoenix Children’s Sun Safety Event Warns of the Dangers of Sun Exposure
May is National Melanoma Month
PHOENIX, Ariz. (May 10, 2011) - With the summer heating up this week to triple digits, Phoenix Children’s is reminding parents to keep their children safe from the sun and heat. May is National Melanoma Month and doctors at Phoenix Children’s Hospital want parents to be aware of the dangers of sun exposure to children. The event will be Tuesday, May 15th at 10:00 a.m. in the new shaded roof-top garden on the 3rd Floor of Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
On hand to be interviewed will be Dr. Harper Price, a pediatric dermatologist from Phoenix Children’s, Dr. Ronald Hansen, and their colleagues as well as patients from the Dermatology Clinic who have been treated for skin cancers, including several teens being treated for melanoma and a rare case of an 8-month-old patient who contracted melanoma from her mother in-utero.
Arizona has the second-highest rate of skin cancer incidents in the world (Australia is #1). More than 1.2 million new cases of skin cancers are diagnosed each year in the United States. Children are especially susceptible – on average, kids get three times more exposure to the sun than adults. Only one blistering sunburn in childhood can double a child’s risk of developing skin cancer later in life. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, kills one person every hour.
Price, believes parents can help their children by set good examples by practicing good sun protection themselves, and teaching all members of their family how to protect their skin and eyes. “Seek shade, keep your children out of the sun between the hours of 10am. and 2 pm., use hats and sunglasses, cover-ups and learn how to apply sunscreen correctly,” said Price.
UV Skinz in partnership with local sun protective swimwear retailer ArtPlay Children’s Boutique is honoring National Skin Cancer awareness Month with its “My First Skinz” program by donating 50 baby rashgards and other 50 + swimwear to the Dermatology Department at Phoenix Children’s. The SPF swimwear fabric blocks 98% of the sun’s harmful rays and helps protect children from sunburns and sun damaged skin later in life.
As part of sun safety awareness and National Melanoma Month – Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s Injury Prevention program, is sponsoring a Poster contest for Phoenix Children’s Hospital patients. The posters depict ways to prevent skin cancer and raise sun safety awareness. Judging will occur at the event with winners being announced and prizes awarded.
Visuals:
- Safety Displays and demonstrations provided by Phoenix Children’s Injury Prevention Department, and the Sun Wise program at the Arizona Department of Health
- Patients and families wearing new UV blocking clothing, t-shirts, swim wear, hats and sunglasses
- Art and crafts, displays from Sun Wise (x-ray of children’s hands show sun damage)
- Phoenix Children’s Hospital mascot – Dudley the Dinosaur in sun safety mode wearing a large hat, sun screen and sunglasses.
- Give-aways: Beach Balls, sun screen, Frisbees and SPF 50+ t-shirts by “Art Play”.
- Safe swim and sun wear by “Art Play”
- Phoenix Children’s “Animal Assisted Dog Therapy” Program
- Refreshments: Snow cones, water, ice tea, root beer floats and sun cookies
- Poster Display by Phoenix Children’s Hospital patients. After an education session provided by the Injury Prevention Program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital – patients have created posters that portray ways to prevent skin cancer and raise sun safety awareness. Winners will be announced and prizes awarded at the event.
About Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Phoenix Children’s Hospital is Arizona’s only licensed children’s hospital, providing world-class care in more than 40 pediatric specialties to children from throughout the state and region. Though Phoenix Children’s is one of the ten largest freestanding children’s hospitals in the country, it is in the midst of a major expansion to meet the needs of the Southwest’s rapid population growth. The signature element of the expansion is a new 11-story, 750,000-square-foot tower which will enable the hospital to grow from 345 licensed beds today to a total of 626 licensed beds once the project is complete. The hospital’s expansion also includes an aggressive physician recruitment effort and new satellite centers in high growth areas of the Valley.
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Media Contact:
Jane Walton
602-546-5871
