Local Melanoma Nonprofit Joins the Fight against COVID-19

Blackout Melanoma, a St. Louis-based nonprofit that raises money for better melanoma awareness, prevention and detection and provides financial resources to those currently fighting Stage III/IV metastatic melanoma, decided to pay it forward when the community needed it most. The organization made a $5,000 donation to The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital to aid the hospital’s response to COVID-19.                       

“It came straight our founder Aneta Campos’ heart,” says Blackout Melanoma staffer Terri Kraham. “She wanted to do something to help these frontline workers who are risking their lives for our community during this COVID-19 pandemic.”

The nonprofit was founded in honor of Rebeca “Beca” Shults Campos after she was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic melanoma. Though Beca ultimately lost her battle with the disease in May 2011, she helped launch what would become Blackout Melanoma with her mother, Aneta Campos, and lived to see the first 5k race in her honor. The nonprofit continues on in Beca’s memory and raises money for the hospital that gave her additional years of life despite a difficult diagnosis.

“These are some of the same doctors, nurses, and support staff that cared for our founder’s daughter, Beca, when she was fighting for her life with metastatic melanoma,” Terri says. “We knew in our hearts that this is what Beca would have wanted, as well. We wanted to join this fight and do our part to help protect and thank those helping our communities.”  

With its donation, Blackout Melanoma joins individuals and organizations throughout the St. Louis community that have come forward to help battle this novel virus through donations to the Foundation to support research, patient care and crisis relief in response to the pandemic.

“We hope that this is something that takes hold and others come forward as well to support these frontline heroes,” Aneta says. “We are a small nonprofit, our donation is just a drop in the bucket, however we hope that our gift will encourage others to give as well and turn into a waterfall of support.”

Terri and Aneta hope the donation will provide much-needed relief and inspiration to the frontline health care team.

“From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you, we are praying for you, we are here for you, and we support you,” Aneta says of the health care workers caring for COVID-19 patients. “There are not enough words to even express our gratitude for your sacrifices. You put your lives, and the lives of your families, on the line every day for your community and we cannot thank you enough. We appreciate you, we see you, and you are an inspiration to us all.”

You can join Blackout Melanoma in supporting our frontline health care team by visiting FoundationBarnesJewish.org/GiveCovid19.

Pictured from left: Rebeca “Beca” Shults Campos with her mother, Aneta, and brother, Romeu.