I saw something odd while rubbing sun cream on my daughter on holiday – doctors said I saved her life
DOCTORS told a mum that she saved her daughter’s life when she spotted something odd while rubbing sun cream on her.
Kara Leece, 30, from Gravesend in Kent, was on holiday in Dubai for her birthday when her mum noticed a small mole on her back.
The mole seemed to be changing shape and colour, so personal trainer Kara booked a GP appointment when she got back to the UK.
She was immediately referred to a dermatologist who removed the mole.
Tests revealed that Kara, who has no family history of skin cancer and has never used a sun bed, had a fast-growing melanoma.
Medics said that Kara’s mum saved her life by spotting the mole before it was too late.
Kara told ITV Meridian: “We were told at one appointment that if my mum hadn’t noticed the mole when she did, then six months down the line, it would have been fatal.
“So yeah, it was very lucky that she had found it when she did because it was scary.
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“I never thought that I would be dealing with melanoma ever. I was really, really fortunate that it hadn’t spread.”
She now checks her lymph nodes and skin regularly, and is urging other Brits to learn about the symptoms of melanoma and other types of skin cancer.
But she also remains grateful to her mum for spotting the mole in good time.
Kara said: “Everywhere I go, they say that she’s been an absolute hero. She saved my life.”
The Melanoma Fund’s Michelle Baker said: “The reason Kara’s mum knew about this is because someone talked to her about their own skin cancer journey.
“So she was made more aware of it, and I think this is what we need to do more of.
“Talk more about skin cancer. Talk about the risks. And if you’ve had it, then make people aware of the risk.”
It comes after pictures taken just two weeks apart showed the toll chemotherapy is taking on a four-year-old girl battling leukaemia.
A terminally ill mother is spending her final months in agony because she can’t afford to heat her house.
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