Facing a Stage II Melanoma Diagnosis
- In 2017, Jay Klay was diagnosed with stage II melanoma in three different areas of his body.
- He had surgery to remove the cancer and is open about his journey.
- Klay’s experience made him realize that acting and modeling were his true callings.
Read More“I was told that there was an 85% chance that my family and I would most likely have to start the preparations for my passing.”
Facing His Mortality
Of the three types of skin cancer, melanoma is the deadliest form. In its earliest stages, when cancer cells are only in the outermost layer of skin, melanoma is very treatable. But once it spreads, it can quickly reach other organs and become life threatening. Dr. Nima Gharavi, director of dermatologic surgery at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, on why surgery is the best treatment for melanomaThe aim in treating melanoma is to get rid of as much of the cancer as possible. Like most people with stage II melanoma, Klay had surgery to cut out the cancer.
A Light Switch
It was only after Klay’s doctors had completely removed his cancer and given him a clean bill of health that he had what he calls his “light switch moment.” He realized that, had he succumbed to his cancer, his life wouldn’t have ended on a happy note. “I had not been following my dreams. I had been letting fear keep me from what I ultimately wanted out of my life,” he recalls.
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What Klay ultimately wanted was to be an actor and model. The revelation was life altering. “I was given a second chance at life. And at that moment I knew I would not take that for granted,” he says. “I could no longer let fear, self-doubt, or the unknown stop me from what I was meant to do on this earth.”
Since then, Klay has been signed to top talent and modeling agencies in both Los Angeles and the East Coast. He’s starred in countless music videos and commercials. In some ways, he considers his diagnosis a blessing. “If it wasn’t for cancer, I would have never achieved such greatness,” he says.
Related: Cancer Radically Changed My Life: Why Tracy White Considers Her Cancer Journey A Blessing
Now, Klay shares some powerful words of advice and encouragement with anyone who is faced with a cancer diagnosis. “Cancer doesn’t have to stop you. You should let it inspire you, because you’re here for a purpose,” he says. “You can do whatever you want. You can be whatever you want.”
“Cancer not only saved my physical being, my life, but it inspired me to be the absolute best version of myself, and to no longer let fear control my life.”
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