Every six hours, melanoma claims another life in Australia. For many, that statistic is a number that flashes past in a news bulletin. For Belinda Brear, it’s her dad.
Belinda was 19 when Mark Ehlers first noticed an itchy mole on the bottom of his foot.
At 47, he was healthy and happiest spending time with his family. Doctors removed the melanoma and, with regular check-ups, life appeared to return to normal.
“He was super active, worked hard and was always busy. He loved being outdoors,” Belinda says.
“We grew up in Brisbane. His dream was to retire on the Sunshine Coast because he loved fishing and being at the beach.”
For several years, the family believed the melanoma was behind them.
Then came the tingling in his right arm.
Eight years after that first surgery, Mark returned to the doctor. The news that followed changed everything.
The melanoma had metastasized to his brain and spread throughout his body.
Belinda remembers the moment her world shifted.
“It all happened very quickly, and he was rushed into emergency brain surgery,” she says.
“We were in shock. It was devastating for the whole family.
“They had initially removed a small section from his foot with his first surgery. When the cancer came back, we just hoped it was treatable.
“We thought it was at bay, but over those years it had just been spreading everywhere … and he had no idea.”
After 18 months of undergoing all available treatments, Mark passed away at just 57 years old.
He was a devoted family man and a proud Queenslander.
“He was just the best dad ever and I know he would have been the best grandad to my girls. I have the fondest memories growing up and he is very much missed,” Belinda says.
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world. One person is diagnosed every 30 minutes. It is also the most common cancer affecting Australians aged 20 to 39.
For Belinda, one of the most confronting aspects of her dad’s story was where the melanoma began.
“It wasn’t something we were actively doing at the time,” she says of skin checks.
Especially with the melanoma being on the bottom of his foot – where most wouldn’t think to check, that hidden location became a devastating lesson.
“It’s taught us all to get our skin checked regularly,” Belinda says.
“Especially with all his six grandkids now, we’re very vigilant – hats, sunscreen, not out in the middle of the day when the UV is really high.
“Everyone we speak to, we’re always bringing it up – asking them if they’ve had their skin checked.”
Her message aligns with the experts: early detection saves lives.
“Early detection is the best treatment,” Belinda says.
Across Australia, thousands of families lace up their shoes for Melanoma March – a cause that touches almost every community.
In 2026, Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) marks 15 years of the event, which has grown from a single beachfront walk into a powerful nationwide movement to save lives.
Last year, Belinda organised Melanoma March Sunshine Coast in her dad’s honour.
“We just felt like we wanted to bring the community together on the Sunshine Coast,” she says.
“It was a great opportunity to increase awareness while bringing together like-minded families to support each other.”
Wearing maroon for Mark, her family members walk not only in remembrance, but also in hope.
“He was a passionate Queensland Maroons NRL fan and we now walk as a maroon-themed team each year,” Belinda says.
“It’s really important for our whole family to do whatever we can so others never have to experience this.”
With the same goal in mind, Melanoma March began as one father’s tribute in 2012. Manly local James Economides launched the first walk in honour of his son Michael, who passed away from melanoma in 2008 at age 20.
“We wanted to do something to remember Michael and others lost to melanoma, and also try to make a difference to prevent other families going through what we had,” James says.
“That first event at Manly, alongside my co-founder Jay Allen who was working at Melanoma Institute Australia, we literally put one foot in front of the other and were buoyed by the wonderful support from everyone who turned out to walk alongside us.
“We are so proud that what began as a local walk in memory of our son is now an Australia-wide event bringing together families and communities to help save lives from melanoma.”
Fifteen years on, Melanoma March is now supported by Melanoma Patients Australia and Australian Melanoma Research Foundation.
Over the years, the campaign has raised close to $10 million, funding research projects and clinical guidelines that directly changed melanoma treatment and patient care across Australia.
“What an incredible legacy for Michael and the thousands of other Australians who have passed away from melanoma,” James says.
Less than a decade ago, advanced melanoma was an almost certain death sentence, with patients rarely surviving more than a few months.
Today, world-class research has led to targeted therapies and immunotherapies – described as the “penicillin moment for cancer treatment” – as well as neoadjuvant (pre-surgery) immunotherapy.
Close to 60 per cent of advanced melanoma patients are now surviving and are essentially cured because of these treatments.
“It’s really reassuring to know that the survival rates are improving,” Belinda says.
The 2026 Melanoma March campaign helps fuel this critical research and the development of new treatments.
Professor Georgina Long, medical director at MIA, says, “Our dedicated, multi-disciplinary team at MIA remains focused on planning ahead with regards to what our next major change in practice needs to be to transform outcomes not only for melanoma patients, but for patients across all cancers.”
As families across the country take steps this March, Belinda walks for her dad who loved surfing and fishing, who dreamed of retiring by the sea, who cheered passionately for the Maroons, and who was lost far too soon.
Each step is a reminder to check your skin – even the places you might never think to look.
While there is no official Sunshine Coast march event this year, locals can still take part through March Your Way, hosting their own walk or fundraising activity.
To register, donate or host your own March Your Way event, visit melanomamarch.org.au.
How to prevent melanoma
Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun causes 95 per cent of melanomas. The best way to prevent melanoma is to protect your skin from UV damage by following the five sun-safe rules:
- Seek shade.
- Wear sun-protective clothing.
- Wear a broad-brimmed hat.
- Wear wrap-around sunglasses. Check the label to ensure they meet the Australian standard.
- Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 50+ every two hours and after swimming or exercise.
FAST FACTS
- Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer and Australiahas the highest melanoma rates in the world
- One person is diagnosed with melanoma every 30 minutes and one person dies from the disease every six hours.
- Melanoma is the most common cancer affecting 20 to 39-year-old Australians.
- Close to 60 per cent of advanced melanoma patients are now surviving, essentially cured due to groundbreaking treatments.
