Recognizing Heroes---The Story of Outrun the Sun

Anita J. Day, Executive Director

As we unveil our new and expanded web site, I want to shed some light (not of the UV variety) on the story behind Outrun the Sun. This organization was born out of personal experience with melanoma. This was not my personal experience but rather the journeys of two gentlemen: my father, John Busse, and a close family friend, Gary Patton. Dad and Gary were diagnosed with melanoma within five months of each other: Gary in February—Dad in July. Gary was 38. Dad was 78. Our families didn’t know then of the parallel roads that we would travel for the next several months. And as the saying goes, “Ignorance is bliss.”

When they each were diagnosed, their diseases already had advanced to stage III melanoma. After spirited and heroic battles, like so many melanoma patients endure, sadly they passed away. My father died on August 13, 2002. Gary died just 11 days later on August 24. The world undoubtedly lost two great men that month. While the 18 months prior are what I interpret as being the most challenging times in their lives—while they were filled with what I recall as being constant surrealistic uncertainty—those months were really very small parts of who they were. Their lives were so much more than the days overshadowed by melanoma. This is why I have decided to share my thoughts below about the men they were before melanoma and how they inspired us to create Outrun the Sun. While Outrun the Sun is a thank you to these two men who were fathers, husbands, brothers, sons, and friends, it is so much more. It is hope. It brings hope to the hundreds of thousands of people in the world who are living with melanoma today. Through our research and educational programs, our goal is to prevent patients and their families from having to travel the same roads that we traveled. Our goal is to eradicate melanoma altogether, or as my sister, Jonna MacDougall, says, “Our goal is to put ourselves out of business.”

One important comment---Fear Not

I want to say to anyone with stage III melanoma, who might be reading this text, fear not. I read an article just today about news veteran Sam Donaldson who was diagnosed with stage III melanoma 13 years ago. I talk with melanoma patients nearly every day. Some are recently diagnosed. Others are old timers. Some have been diagnosed at stages III and IV and today they have no evidence of disease. So, my point is this: one stage does not fit all. That’s the intriguing thing about melanoma.

I hope that you enjoy reading about my melanoma heroes. If there has been someone in your life—someone who is battling melanoma today—or someone you have lost to this disease—please feel welcome to share your story for posting. They are all heroes.

• Gerald John Busse—My dad
        written by Anita J. Day, Executive Director
  It was the mid-1960s. I was about five years old and I was experiencing the most exciting day of my life. I was at the Aurora Farmer’s Fair. Aurora, Indiana is where my family lived—population 3,800 on a good day back then. Each year, kids across town anxiously awaited the Farmer’s Fair and a parade filled with floats, bands and politicians... Read More >
• Gary Ray Patton—Our friend
        written by Anita J. Day, Executive Director
  I had known Gary for a good 10 years before I feel that I really knew Gary. He was my husband’s friend. They grew up in the same neighborhood and had known each other since grade school. They rode bikes together. They played football. They went fishing. They were buddies...Read More >