All aboard the Mole Mobile: Skin cancer screening on wheels launches in Vancouver
Editor's note: As of May 13, the Mole Mobile is no longer offering physical exams.
Melanoma Canada launched the Mole Mobile Wednesday at Olympic Village in Vancouver. It’s a skin care clinic on wheels that will offer drop-in services in communities throughout B.C.
“You will go in and see either our full-time nurse practitioner or a certified dermatologist, and they will do a full-body screening with you or a spot check for areas of concern you might have,” said Abbie Wiggin with Melanoma Canada.
The Mole Mobile will travel to communities both big and small this spring and summer, and take patients on a first-come, first-served basis.
“We make it really accessible, and when we travel into the more rural communities that don’t have dermatologists, people are able to hop on board and get a skin check done, and I think that accessibility is really key in our mission of early detection,” said Wiggin.
Seventy-five-year-old Bruce Ballingall, who has had five surgeries after being diagnosed with malignant melanoma, was on hand for the launch.
“This is a miracle machine, it’s going to save lives,” he said. “I had a hard time getting a dermatologist and so I had to wait and wait and wait. This is going to help speed things up for people.”
The Mole Mobile was partially funded by a non-profit founded by Brian ‘Red” Hamilton, the Vancouver Canucks assistant equipment manager. He was warned about a potentially cancerous mole by a fan sitting behind the team bench at a Seattle Kraken game.
“She was right, I ended up finding out a month later that I had a malignant melanoma and it was pulled out of the back of my neck,“ said Hamilton.
Inspired to give back, he and his wife started the Jess and Red Hamilton Fund, which partnered with Melanoma Canada to raise money for the Mole Mobile.
“It was a two-year plan, and we did it in a year thanks to amazing donors and amazing sponsors,” said Hamilton.
Red isn’t the only Canucks connection. Natalie Miller, who is married to forward J.T. Miller, got involved after losing her mother to melanoma four years ago at the age of 58.
“It’s a way of honouring my mom,” said Miller. “I’m involved in the community a lot and I feel like adding melanoma to that. I don’t want this to happen to other families.”
To find out if the Mole Mobile will be visiting your community, go to molemobile.ca
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lanny McDonald and a few old Flames take the Stanley Cup on a surprise visit to the man who saved his life
The Stanley Cup was passing through town Friday, and Lanny Legend took it upon himself to take it for a surprise visit.
This Calgary home has a giant tree in the middle, and it's for sale
There's a luxury 'tree home' for sale in Calgary.
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
Chad Daybell sentenced to death for killing wife and girlfriend’s two children in jury decision
Jurors resumed deliberations Saturday on whether a man should be sentenced to death after being convicted days earlier of the murders of his wife and his girlfriend’s two youngest children in Idaho.
Father who killed one-year-old son with axe may be allowed to travel in southwestern Ontario
A Mennonite father who killed his one-year-old son with an axe may be allowed to travel to parts of southern Ontario in the coming months
Panama prepares to evacuate first island in face of rising sea level
On a tiny island off Panama's Caribbean coast, about 300 families are packing their belongings in preparation for a dramatic change. Generations of Gunas who have grown up on Gardi Sugdub in a life dedicated to the sea and tourism will trade that next week for the mainland’s solid ground.
Pedestrian dies after being hit by train in Brockville, Ont.
Brockville Police says a pedestrian has died following a collision with a train that was heading to Toronto.
'It feels like freedom': Why some Albertans like going nude in nature
Few people can say they accidentally purchased a nude beach — but Shelley can. When she saw a piece of land she could fondly remember camping on was up for sale, she inquired about it and ended up purchasing it. She soon found that there were already inhabitants on it.
Trump election victory 'very unlikely,' but 'possible': former FBI director Comey
Former FBI director James Comey says while he believes former U.S. president Donald Trump "will be defeated" in the upcoming presidential election, he doesn’t think it’s a given.