Kathy Walter

Wife's loss leads to creation of Melanoma research fund

ABCDs of Melanoma

Melanoma is a malignant skin tumor that begins with an abnormality on the skin, normally starting with a mole or skin mark of some kind. In order to always be safe, it is important to get yearly check-ups by a dermatologist and to know the ABCD’s of melanoma to always look for:

Photos courtesy of the National Cancer Institute

Bill Walter III was born and raised in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he spent his teenage years as a lifeguard. He enjoyed being outdoors and was always exposed to the sun, unaware of the damage that was taking place.

In 1995, he was diagnosed with stage IV melanoma and battled the deadly cancer for three years, but after many surgeries, treatments and hospitalization, Bill lost his life on November 18, 1998 at the young age of 36. Bill left his loving wife and two small children, a one-year old daughter and a four-year old son.

After seeing what toll melanoma took on her husband that would eventually end his life, Kathy Walter knew she could not just sit around and let this happen to others, so in 1998 after Bill’s death, Kathy and many family and friends came together to form the only local nonprofit melanoma awareness and prevention fund in Fort Collins. 

Going into its eleventh year, the Bill Walter III Melanoma Research Fund has donated over $80,000 to melanoma patients and their families and to research for finding a cure.  

“We’re hoping to educate our community about the dangers of the sun and we are hoping to raise money for research for a possible cure someday, and we intend to provide funding for melanoma patients for medical treatment,” said Walter about her organization. “The heartache that we’ve been through, the trial and tribulations we had to go through as our own family, we want to be able to give back to the community.” 

Colorado is ranked among the top five states in melanoma diagnosis with one of the highest incident rates of melanoma in the country. Statistics show that melanoma is increasing by 2% annually, and about 80% of skin damage occurs before the age of 18. Studies also show that melanoma is the number one cancer of women under the age of 35. 

What is important to know, however, that if detected and treated in its early stages, melanoma is curable. It is vital for the community to know and understand the implications of proper sun safety measures.