Following his own skin cancer diagnosis, this B.C. man is now working to keep others safe from UV rays

It was just a weird little mole. 

Jake MacDonald of Penticton, B.C., hadn’t thought much of it, but when his grandmother noticed a mole on his left leg, she suggested he get it checked. 

“One of my moles was just a little bit weird in diameter,” he told CBC’s Radio West host Sarah Penton. 

“The borders were a little irregular as well. It just looked off.”

Heeding his loved one’s advice, he saw a doctor soon after and learned he had melanoma — a form of skin cancer. 

“It was definitely a surprise.”

According to Melanoma Canada, melanoma rates have tripled in the past 30 years. The cancer is most commonly caused by overexposure to UV radiation from either the sun or artificial sources, like tanning beds. 

While MacDonald had the cancer removed and now has a clean bill of health, he recently launched a business to help protect others — making clothes that block out the sun’s rays. 

MacDonald always loved playing sports and spending time outdoors. But when he was diagnosed in 2018, at age 24, he grew nervous about exposing his skin to the sun’s rays. 

“As long as that sun’s out, I’m definitely going to be thinking about it because every single moment I’ve got to be sun safe  … especially living in a place like the Okanagan.”

Safe practices include avoiding the sun during its peak, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., using SPF 50+ water-resistant broad-spectrum sunscreen, wearing UVA/UVB wraparound sunglasses and a broad-brimmed hat, and wearing sun protective clothing that covers as much skin as possible, according to Melanoma Canada. 

That last one is where MacDonald comes in. 

Having left his job in banking last year, he was looking for a career he was passionate about. Then, he found a gap in the clothing market that he felt he could fill. 

Ultraviolet protection factor

Just a few weeks ago, with the help of Kickstarter donors, MacDonald launched Enjoy the Vu, which sells UPF — also known as ultraviolet protection factor — clothing. His products are rated UPF 50+, which is the highest rating, and most protective, clothing can be. UPF 50+ clothing blocks at least 98 per cent of UV rays from reaching the skin, according to the Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation.

To put it into context, the foundation suggests a typical white T-shirt has a UPF rating of about five.  

Dr. Jason Rivers, a clinical professor of dermatology at UBC and past president of the Canadian Dermatology Association, said sun protection from clothing varies depending on fabrics.

“UPF fabrics are designed to maintain their protective ability through different conditions,” he said. 

Rivers said preventative measures like this and early detection will save lives.

Right now, there’s only one style: long-sleeve golf polos, in three colourful designs, made in China and lab tested for UPF. He’s also got some hats coming in soon. At the time of publication, he said they were still being tested for UPF. 

MacDonald said he’d been wearing UPF clothes before he started the company, but wanted something with a little more flair. 

“I guess the whole idea was creating those clothes for myself. I’m a young guy, so I like to wear clothes that are a little bit more fun and have fun designs and whatnot, and I just found there wasn’t a whole lot of that for UPF clothing.”

He said while the selection is limited right now, once he can gauge the demand for his products, he hopes to introduce a few more styles, including options for women and children. 

MacDonald’s work isn’t limited to his business; he said he’s also using his social media to share his story and talking to friends and customers about the harms of UV exposure every chance he gets. He’s been working with Merck’s Practice Skintimacy campaign, educating others about melanoma. 

“It started out just me making clothes for myself, but it’s really evolved into just being a voice for skin cancer,” he said.