Thank you for visiting my Just Giving Page, I would appreciate your support in raising money for the Melanoma Fund as I look to complete the Cleethorpes Half Marathon on 15th September 2024! Which is only 3 months away and I can barely run 5k without stopping, so a nice challenge to set myself!

Skin cancer is the most common, and melanoma is the fifth most common type of cancer in the UK. Rates of melanoma have more than doubled in the UK in the last 30 years, with incidence in women having doubled (100% increase) and for men nearly tripled (181%). It is one of our fastest rising cancers therefore I would love to raise awareness so that people can be conscious of ensuring they take care of their skin and are aware of warning signs as early detection is key!

As my family, friends and colleagues will know I have had the unfortunate experience of being diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Melanoma last year.

Three years ago I noticed a mole I had on my stomach had been growing, I did the right thing and went to the doctor to have this reviewed and this mole was removed, then sent for a biopsy where I was then told this was not cancerous. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case and after noticing a lump in my armpit in June 2023 and visiting the doctor, who did not make the link to it potentially being skin cancer, I had to go through a diagnosis of what was causing my lump and after many months of deliberation and retesting my mole sample I was diagnosed with Melanoma in October.

I then had to undergo surgery to remove the lump but unfortunately due to the time that this had taken the disease had progressed to a few other places throughout my body, which could of been avoided should the biopsy of been done correctly in the first place.

Thankfully, due to the wonders of modern medicine and after a touch and go few months things are starting to move into the right direction and I am now strong enough to set myself a challenge to raise money for the Melanoma Fund so they are able to continue to raise awareness of the dangers of Skin Cancers and how we can all protect ourselves to ensure people do not have to go through the same journey I have!

Any donation you can provide will be appreciated.

Thank you,

Michael