Transplant surgery puts patients at much higher risk for skin cancer by weakening the immune system. That’s why, for one young transplant patient, a simple gift of sunscreen proved to be (as the advertising slogan goes) “priceless.”

Faith Kilkeary was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, which left the left side of her heart underdeveloped. As an infant, Faith had two open heart surgeries that went smoothly. But after her first birthday, her health deteriorated.

On January 10, 2005, she received a new heart. She was 18 months old.

Today, Faith is a healthy three-year-old. However, heart transplants – like all organ transplants – have specific risks. To keep the body from fighting the new organ, the patient takes anti-rejection drugs that restrict the immune system's ability to attack anything it senses to be invasive. The unfortunate side effect: The body is left more vulnerable to infection and disease. On a visit to the family dermatologist, Faith’s mother Julie recalls, they learned that Faith could be significantly more sensitive to the sun, leaving her at high risk for sunburns and skin cancer. The physician advised her to limit sun exposure severely.

The doctor also recommended a daily sunscreen called Anthelios SX recently approved by the FDA. This sunscreen includes the ingredient Mexoryl, which offers especially effective protection against the sun’s ultraviolet A (UVA) rays, linked to both premature skin aging and skin cancer.

With Faith’s extreme medical expenses, however, the family could not afford the ongoing cost of the sunscreen. A social worker contacted The Skin Cancer Foundation which, in turn, contacted La Roche-Posay, the manufacturer of Anthelios SX. The company immediately donated a year’s supply to the Kilkearys.

“When we heard of Faith’s situation, we wanted to help in any way we could,” says Gene Colon, Director of Medical and Media Relations at La Roche-Posay.

“It’s wonderful,” says Julie Kilkeary of the donation. “Faith is doing amazingly well, and we’d like to keep it that way.”