KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Sixteen-year-old Jacklyn Dougherty doesn’t mind wearing long sleeves and a hat when she’s outside. She just wants to make sure she’s protected from the sun.

  • Dougherty inspired by Grandfathers diagnosis
  • Created “Pink Ladybug” nonprofit
  • Nonprofit educates young girls on sun safety

“My vision is that I want to see a world with no skin cancer,” Jacklyn said.

Jacklyn recalls spending some of her childhood at hospitals visiting Poppy, her grandfather who was diagnosed with melanoma.

While her grandpa survived skin cancer, he’s had to go through several surgeries and continues to have dark spots removed.

“I was like, in the hospital and I didn't really know what skin cancer was when I was a younger child of course, so I had to educate myself,” Jacklyn said.

Jacklyn recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for her soon to be nonprofit Pink Ladybug.

She has visited hundreds of students in different churches and schools to teach them sun safety and to hand out sun kits -- with sunscreen, sunglasses and lip balm.

Jacklyn has used her savings for that and to make a website which has educational information.

“She has a heart of gold. For her to give out her own earnings, to give to other students… its heart warming.” her mother, Joni Dougherty said.

Jacklyn doesn’t want anyone to go through what Poppy did and therefore will continue to encourage people to protect themselves from the dangers of the sun.

“I think everybody should be educated about skin cancer awareness, not just the 600 students I did,” Jacklyn said. “I think it should be everybody across the whole nation and country.”

Jacklyn has officially applied for Pink Ladybug to become a nonprofit. In the meantime, she is hoping a local dermatologist will partner with her to continue sharing the message.

For more information on her nonprofit, click here: PinkLadybug.org