"Our world fell apart on day of cancer diagnosis": Rugby mum and daughter launch sun safety campaign

Teaching assistant Kim Teasdale, 44, was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma in October 2017 and needed life-saving surgery to prevent it spreading.

The experience was so scary that her 17-year-old daughter Hermione was inspired to create a sun safety presentation and video for her school.

Now the pair have teamed up with Cancer Research UK and charity and NIVEA Sun to encourage people to follow three simple steps this summer: seek shade, cover up and apply sunscreen regularly and generously.

Their call comes as latest analysis from Cancer Research UK reveals the majority of UK melanoma skin cancer cases are preventable, with almost 9 in 10 (87%) caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and sunbeds.*

With around 1,400 people diagnosed with the disease every year in the West Midlands region,** Kim and Hermione are determined to help raise vital awareness.

After her own emotional skin cancer journey, Kim and her family always take precautions and stress that protecting your skin really is “easy as 1,2,3.”

Kim, a teaching assistant at Bilton CofE Junior School, said: “Finding out I had melanoma was the worst day of my life. Hearing the word cancer was devastating - I actually don’t have the words to explain how I felt, all I know is that millions of thoughts and feelings came rushing to me all at once. After the initial shock and rollercoaster of emotions I got in the mindset of ‘damn you cancer, I will beat you.’

“I do feel strongly that there needs to be more awareness that melanoma is actually cancer growing in the largest organ of your body.

“I’m a red head with freckles so I’ve always been careful, but awareness was very limited when I was growing up.

“Now, I make sure I’m covered up and take some time out of the sun in the middle of the day, as well as always being prepared with hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. It’s natural to want to make the most of warmer days, but sun safety doesn’t mean missing out, just being careful whether you’re at home or abroad.”

Kim says she’s lucky to be alive and thanks her husband for encouraging her to show the changing mole on her neck to a GP.

“I’d had a mole on the right side of my neck since birth but one appeared on the opposite side that was a mirror image,” said Kim.

“I never thought anything of it until it started to change shape and colour. Then my husband noticed it weeping and insisted I get it checked out. The GP immediately referred me to the hospital because he didn’t like the look of it.

“I was told it was an aggressive form of cancer, so I was lucky to catch it as early as I did. If I hadn’t gone to the doctors at that point, I might not be here today.”

Kim had a biopsy which showed she had stage 1b melanoma. Although it had been caught early, she was told the cancer was fast growing.

She had two further surgeries to remove the wider area around the cancer and lymph nodes to limit the chance of recurrence.

“Because it was stage 1b melanoma, if you were to look at me you wouldn’t know I had cancer” added Kim.

“To the outside world I didn’t look like a cancer patient as I didn’t have chemo or lose my hair. Nevertheless, it was cancer, and I still had to have treatment. A huge operation, recovery time, check-ups and the constant fear in the pit of my stomach that it would come back. So just because something isn’t visible, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”

Skin cancer is more common in people over the age of 50, but it can affect anyone of any age.

Kim’s daughter Hermione remembers her sleeping on the couch for two weeks after surgery due to the pain.

In an animated video created to raise awareness of skin cancer Hermione, said: “The day my mum was diagnosed with cancer was the day me and my family’s world fell apart.

“After surgery, mum was in constant pain I remember how hard we all took it. She laid on the couch for two weeks before she could make it upstairs to bed.”

Hermione, a student at Rugby Free Secondary School, now wants to do all she can to spread awareness.

“Please, if you notice anything peculiar on your skin, call your GP and get it checked out,” she said.

“Remember to seek shade, cover up and apply sunscreen. Finally, if you see something, say something.”

Kim, who joined a national melanoma research study after her diagnosis, added: “Thanks to advances in research and treatment, I’m still here and looking forward to enjoying more precious moments with my loved ones this summer.”

Nearly 100 years ago, Cancer Research UK helped prove that UV radiation can cause skin cancer and since then has learnt more about how skin cancer starts and spreads, pioneering new ways to prevent, detect and treat the disease.

NIVEA Sun has raised over £8 million to support this life-saving research over the last 12 years and works in partnership with the charity to stop the disease before it even starts. When the sun is strong, they recommend people:

Spend time in the shade, especially between 11am and 3pm in the UK.

Cover up with clothes, a wide-brimmed hat and UV-protection sunglasses

Apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and 4 or 5 stars generously and regularly.

Watch the video here: https://youtu.be/ApgTAorqHPE

For more advice or to donate to skin cancer research visit cruk.org/sunsafety