When Steve Glowe received the call asking for his assistance to help a boy in need he jumped at the chance. Glowe, owner of Evening Shade Inc. in Florence, S.C. listened to the story of the boy with Xeroderma Pigmentosa and immediately offered his services. The child, Drew, suffered from a disorder that caused his skin to be damaged if exposed to UV rays. Without the tools to protect himself, Drew had suffered through repeated bouts of skin cancer and isolation.

“We were contacted by a television station and they told me that they wanted to do news coverage on it and they were wondering if we able or willing to help out with Drew’s disorder,” says Glowe. “We were not even looking to make any money off of it, but just the opportunity to be able to help somebody. In our field we don’t get a lot of opportunities to help people out, unlike surgeons and doctors. It was a nice opportunity.”

Glowe and his company were able to install window film on Drew’s home and vehicles. The benefits have been extraordinary.

“The most direct way it has helped is the reduction of the UV rays,” reports Glowe. “Having the ability to be in the car and be able to travel to doctor visits, to have a front windshield covered where it’s still clear and to have all of the UV rays pulled off of him is a huge asset. Before his hands were getting burned being on the steering wheel so this has helped him out a lot.”

While many companies may not receive the opportunity to help someone like Drew there are ways to promote the many health benefits of window film. Glowe suggests being active in the community and spreading the word.

“I’ve not seen doctors or skin care specialists being pro-active. Physicians need to be aware. They are giving people medication and telling patients to stay out of the sun, but there is not a whole lot you can do when you are in a car. One of the very few things you can do to prevent further skin cancer and help you heal is tinting the glass on your car,” remarks Glowe. “I get more skin cancer patients than I have ever gotten, just because they are more aware. We’ve reached out to doctors and said we need you to listen because this can benefit your client. They do start to listen. Every now and then you will get one that will open there ear up and think about it.”

While disorders like Xeroderma Pigmentosa are not incredibly common, the average person can benefit from protecting their car as well.

Glowe add, “Sometimes someone will come in and complain that their seats are too hot. Well guess what, its doing the same thing to their skin.”

If your company has been involved in a health-related installation of window film e-mail Katie Hodge to share your story.