Survivor Profile Meet Reva Foy

Stage IIIC BRAF+

Nodular Melanoma Survivor

Fredericktown, OH

At first, Reva Foy assumed the open wound on her right foot could be attributed to a pair of ill-fitting shoes But finally, after realizing it wasn’t healing, she saw a podiatrist.

“He took one look and said, ‘I think it’s melanoma,’” Reva remembers about that day in late 2012

Having spent her career as a medical practice administrator who worked with plastic surgeons, she thought back to the melanoma patients she’d met decades ago when there were fewer treatment options than today. “I was horrified,” she said.

A biopsy confirmed the podiatrist’s suspicion: It was indeed cancer

Reva was diagnosed with Stage IIIC BRAF+ nodular melanoma. Then, two weeks later, while staging, Reva’s doctors discovered she also had breast cancer

“It was a pretty tumultuous year,” Reva said But it was also the beginning of a now decadelong journey that Reva says taught her the importance of gratitude and of staying present.

Even back then, Reva felt it wouldn’t help her to obsess over survival rates; instead, she wanted to focus her mindset on her three children

Her youngest was a year away from 18, and she prayed that she’d live long enough to see her daughter reach adulthood.

“I not only got to see that, but I got to see her become a nurse,” Reva said “I got to dance with my son at his wedding and become a grandmother – all blessings far beyond what I asked for then ”

Reva feels lucky to have had such a sustained response to her targeted therapy treatment –she’s been taking Zelboraf since early 2013 She had a wide local excision and groin node dissection in May 2013 And that fall, she underwent a lumpectomy to remove the tumor in her breast and a wide local excision to remove another melanoma spot on her back.

While Zelboraf has caused fatigue and photosensitivity that makes Reva very susceptible to sunburn, she chooses to focus on the time it's given her

“Every breath is a gift,” she said “It makes you really grateful for the little things and sometimes even a little intolerant of pettiness There’s just so much to be thankful for ”

Reva now lives on an acreage in Ohio with dogs, horses, goats and chickens Normally a private person, she’s determined to keep sharing her story to spread awareness and hope

Her advice to those facing a melanoma diagnosis: Seek out that hope. Find a doctor you trust, join support groups online and participate in fundraising walks to meet other survivors (Reva was this year’s honoree at the Dallas Steps Against Melanoma Walk in May and she was a board member for Walk with a Doc for 15 years ) She also tells patients to make sure they are reading only the most upto-date research about treatment options.

“Whenever someone says they’re newly diagnosed, I give them the link to AIM at Melanoma because so much of the other information on Google is outdated and doesn’t offer as much hope,” she said

Reva hangs onto her positive mindset as she celebrates ten years of survivorship and reflects on the perspective that her melanoma journey has given her.

Keith Tolley Stage IV Melanoma Survivor

"Over the past few years, I've had the privilege of connecting with hundreds of melanoma patients, at different stages of their cancer journey, helping them navigate the difficulties, the uncertainties, and the challenges that come while living with cancer

It has been and continues to be, incredibly rewarding helping other patients in this way."

Ruth White Stage IA Melanoma Survivor

"After my first melanoma diagnosis, I discovered I had great inner power to help myself and others. I used life coaching and exercise to help me cope. That positive energy helped me surround myself with a tribe of people I needed in my life to survive. I am adamant that without it, my mental health would have gone in the wrong direction.

Not much attention is given to the terrible anxiety that early-stage cancer survivors suffer; I hope to share my story with them to help them know they are NOT alone. Hope leads to faith in your power within."

AnnMarie Stage IIB Melanoma Survivor

“Even though I’m two years out and NED, melanoma is something I think about every day. Actively staying involved in the solutions (like the clinical trials and keeping up on the webinars) is about being armed. It makes me feel like if this comes back, I will have the best shot at surviving it because I’ve been educating myself.”

"One of the topics that often comes up is how hard it is to explain the diagnosis to others, who associate the word “melanoma” with a mole on the skin It’s so important to get this information out there Cancer is cancer and pain is pain I just want people to be aware of mucosal melanoma and have patients know there are some answers and support."

"I’m three years out, and the things I’ve learned are: cancer sucks, fears are real and debilitating, life happens no matter what, most people are loving and kind, and giving of yourself is the best gift you can give "