L-R: Cindy Goldman, Director of Special Events, Princess Margaret Hospital; Tyler Damen, fourth9year CMCC Student, melanoma survivor, creator of Chiro's Care Charity. And Dr. Jean Moss, President, CMCC.

“Patients don’t see chiropractors as someone they can ask about skin cancer,” said Damen, at a gathering with CMCC staff members and Cindy Goldman, director of special events for Princess Margaret Hospital.  “Yet, given the numbers of patients seen by chiropractors in a week, month or year, chiropractors would be able to screen millions of people!”  

When Tyler Damen first heard the words, “You have melanoma”, the 24-year-old knew almost nothing about this potentially deadly form of cancer.  A year later, following five surgeries and a grueling 11 month course of chemotherapy, Damen had a new goal in his life: to change the statistics around skin cancer and, in particular, melanoma.  That was only four short years ago. 

At the time of his diagnosis, Damen had just completed an undergraduate degree in kinesiology and was set to begin the first of four years as a student at CMCC.  Continuing his studies even through treatment, Damen created the charity Chiro’s Care. The charity has a three-pronged approach to improving the outcomes for skin cancer victims: educate chiropractors on how to identify possible skin cancer in patients, so they may refer these patients to the appropriate specialist: raise funds for melanoma research: and raise funds for patient care for melanoma victims.  

Damen created The Chiropractor’s Guide to Skin Cancer for DCs specifically, and, through the support of CMCC, it was sent out to 5400 chiropractors across North America.  

“I realized that if I could educate DCs about the signs of skin cancer,” notes Damen, “that we would have thousands of professionals helping to diagnose skin cancer earlier - this is currently one of our best strategies for increasing survival rates.” 

At the donation gathering, CMCC president, Dr. Jean Moss, said, “Since chiropractors see a lot of skin, this guide would help them to identify lesions that should be looked at more carefully.”  

Dr. Moss also told those present at the gathering that CMCC is proud to have students like Tyler who are not only committed to their profession but who are also committed to making a difference in their communities as well. 

Damen presented a cheque for $10 000 to Princess Margaret Hospital and says he hopes this will be the first in a series of donations that Chiro’s Care will make.  He hopes to continue gathering funds through the sale of Chiro’s Care T-shirts.  The T-shirts are $15 + shipping and a portion of proceeds from them also goes into the production of the skin cancer guide for DCs. Tyler looks forward to being able to sell these guides, in the near future, to collect further funds for melanoma research and victims of melanoma.  

Speaking on behalf of Princess Margaret Hospital, Cindy Goldman thanked Tyler Damen and Chiro’s Care, saying, “I’m always impressed by the power that one person has to impact on a community, a school and a profession – even by asking, or prompting the necessary questions.  This is an impressive thing that you have done!”  

For more information on Chiro’s Care, and to order a T-Shirt or enquire about the The Chiropractor’s Guide to Skin Cancer, please visit www.chiros-care.com