Woman with melanoma handing out hats as part of her sun smart campaign

A woman with melanoma, a form of skin cancer, handed out sun hats to primary school children yesterday as part of her campaign to encourage them to be sun smart.

Anne O’Leary, 44, from Ballinlough in Cork, who was forced on medical grounds to retire from teaching last year, also recorded a music video with them to increase awareness of the dangers of exposure to ultra-violet (UV) radiation from the sun.

“The sun is a good thing but UV rays are what can cause damage, and what we need to be aware of,” she said.