ROWAN Barrett, the face of one of Western Australia’s most powerful skin cancer prevention campaigns, has lost his battle with melanoma.
The 35-year-old Mandurah man died last Tuesday night in hospital with his family and partner Rahnee Evans by his side.
A typical easygoing young guy, Mr Barrett loved the outdoors, travelling, surfing, fishing and going out with friends and family.
In 2003 Mr Barrett had a malignant melanoma removed from his ankle and was told the cancer had not spread.
But then in late August last year Mr Barrett discovered a lump on his head, which doctors told him was terminal cancer that had spread to his brain, liver, bones and left lung.
He was told he had about six months to live.
Despite his devastating plight, Mr Barrett maintained a remarkable enthusiasm and admirable positive attitude right up until his untimely death, sharing his experience as the front man of a $350,000 Cancer Council WA cancer campaign focusing on young men.
Mr Barrett said he took part in the campaign to help reduce the number of men dying from skin cancer and hoped his experience would warn other men about being complacent about protecting their skin in the sun.
The campaign, which started in February, was the first of its kind to be launched in WA.
The Cancer Council paid tribute to Mr Barrett.
“Rowan’s message was very simple – you are not invincible,” Cancer Council education and research director Terry Slevin said.
“Initial evaluation from the campaign has shown that Rowan’s personal message has had a big impact on men.”
The Cancer Council had also received contact from people who had their skin checked as a result of seeing Mr Barrett’s story.
“We have had a number of people contact us wanting to thank Rowan for his courage in sharing his story,” Mr Slevin said.
“One woman told us her husband had his skin checked after hearing Rowan’s message and a potentially deadly melanoma had been found.
“Rowan’s family and his partner Rahnee can take comfort in the fact that there are men in WA whose lives have been saved as a result of Rowan speaking out.”
As unjust and heartbreaking as it seems to think Mr Barrett’s life was cut so short – the frightening truth is he is far from alone.
The Cancer Council is concerned that many more men are being diagnosed with skin cancer than women and alarming new figures show men are dying from melanoma at twice the rate of women with more than 1000 cases diagnosed each year.
Mr Barrett hoped that by sharing his story, others could learn from his experience.
“Rowan always said he was an ordinary bloke, but he’s done an extraordinary thing,” Mr Slevin said.
“He ended every conversation with me saying ‘Let me know if I can do anything else to help’.
“For a man in his situation that was extraordinary.”