Fernald urges people to check own body and be vigilant continued from p.42 He lost some of hair and his straight hair became curly. He tired easily, his joints ached, but most of all, he became extremely sensitive to sunlight. "I couldn't spend more than five to 10 minutes out in the sun without feeling as if I was going to toast myself. You become ultra-sensitive to sunlight," Fernald said. "My doctors said I needed to think and act like a vampire. "That didn't mean staying in the basement and having the blinds drawn, but I had to be aware of not staying out in direct sunlight too long. Even today, when I'm downtown, I find myself walking from awning to awning. Rainy and cloudy days are good days." Nothing prepared Fernald for the disease. Unlike some cancers, there was no pain. He didn't feel ill. It was just a mark on his skin that he thought would eventually go away. Fernald still has no idea what triggered his melanoma. It wasn't as if a spot on his arm had always been there, but suddenly changed. It just suddenly appeared. "About 50 per cent of the population has a gene mutation to the disease. A flip of the switch and you develop it," he said. "I was never a sun worshipper, who spent all day lying on the beach, even on vacation. But, as a boy, I spent a lot of time playing all day on the beaches of PEI without sunscreen so who knows if that's where it began." Today, he enjoys the outdoors as much as possible. In fact, he went on a golfing trip to Fort Myers, Fla., with his college buddies. "They were initially concerned about me, but I told them I would fine. We teed off at 7:30 a.m. and were done before the hottest part of the day. I wore long sleeves and pants, lathered up with sunscreen and wore a hat. You learn from experience how to keep yourself safe," Fernald said. "I'm as active as I've ever been now that I'm off the medication. We still travel, but we spend a lot of time in museums and malls and at sporting events with roofs." Born in Boston and a big Red Sox fan, he and his brother-in-law attended a recent Toronto Blue Jays game against his beloved team. Since being diagnosed, Fernald has become very vigilant about checking his own body. He continually urges his family and friends to do likewise. "You become a bit of an evangelist for other people," said Fernald, who has two children and a grandson. "You have to be appropriately cautious and avoid sun tanning beds at all costs and use sunscreen to block out the UV . Just be smart." For more information, visit www. melanomanetwork.ca. 43 | Thursday, June 4, 2015 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Halton Gutsy Walk set for Sunday in Bronte More than 400 participants in Halton are expected to once again show they have the guts to make Crohn's and colitis stop by taking part in the 20th annual Gutsy Walk fundraiser. The event is the largest, single-day fundraiser for Crohn's and Colitis Canada, which strives to find cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and improving the lives of those affected by these diseases. According to Crohn's and Colitis Canada, there are approximately 250,000 Canadians living with the diseases. This year's fundraising walk for Halton is Sunday (June 7) at Oakville's Bronte Heritage Waterfront Park, 2340 Ontario St., with a 10 a.m. registration. Organizers say they hope to raise $3 million to advance the research. Since its inception, the Gutsy Walk has raised $29 million from community events across Canada. For more information or to register, visit www.gutsywalk. ca, call 1-800-387-1479 or 519-802-2156, or email gustywalk_On_SouthWest@ crohnsandcolitis.ca. 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