Zita Farelly died of skin cancer, at the too-young age of 29 -- only a few years older than me. A mother of two, Zita didn't damage her skin through excess sun exposure. No, she preferred artificial sun, and got that orangey, leathery sun glow by tanning twice a day from the age of 14 to 21. Twice a day! I would say using a sunbed twice a week is too much, let alone 14 times a week. To her credit, Zita stopped tanning once she learned of the negative effects on her skin. But it was too late -- soon after she quit the tanning, she found a mole on her leg -- melanoma.
As Zita's family struggles to carry on, they've come out with a powerful message: Tanning beds are so dangerous. I hope all the tanners out there begin to listen.
