The 19th March marks the anniversary of My Dear Dad’s passing, he bravely fought melanoma for 5yrs on and off. Early diagnoses is key to treating melanoma, unfortunately, for my dad it wasn’t early enough.
Dad was 64 when a blister on the heal of his foot just wouldn’t heal! I’m not going to go through the stages of what my Dad went through but for anyone that reads this article it’s worth checking your nails, in between your toes and the bottom of your feet as well as everywhere else when checking for changes in your skin ..
My Biggest Regret
I never felt comfortable about approaching the subject of death and saying our final goodbyes with Dad. Dad wasn’t ready to leave mum or the family and it never seemed the right time to approach the subject.
I had wrote Dad a letter as I thought I could leave it with him one night before I went to bed, but, mum never thought it was the right time to give it to him, I knew Dad was deteriorating rapidly but I thought We had more time. My biggest regret is not saying what I needed to say to Dad.
18th March 2017
Mum and I sat next to Dad and chatted for about twenty minutes on the evening of the 18th, this was unusual because we would normally leave Dad to rest but that night he wanted to chat, we chatted about the weather and tv programs mainly although I remember making him laugh. I said “good night, see you in the morning “ fully expecting to see him the next morning.
Dad passed away in his sleep between 5am -7am on 19th March, he was 69 years old.
My life changed from that day and it will never be the same without my wonderful Dad.
Love you Dad ❤️
IN MEMORY OF BARRY GOULSBRA
Melanoma diagnoses are increasing at epidemic rates. You can help make a difference by knowing and sharing the facts about melanoma.
- Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer
- Melanoma skin cancer is the 5th most common cancer in the UK
- According to the World Health Organisation approximately 3,119 people are expected to die from melanoma in 2025 in UK.
- In 2025, it is projected that 19,513 people in the UK are expected to be diagnosed with melanoma.
- Melanoma is not just a skin cancer. It can develop anywhere on the body – eyes, scalp, nails, feet, mouth, etc.
- Melanoma does not discriminate by age, race, or gender. Everyone is at risk.
- 49% of melanoma skin cancer cases in the UK are in females, and 51% are in males.
- In women, the most common place for melanoma to develop is on the legs
- In men, melanoma is most commonly found on the chest and back
- Melanoma is a type of cancer that starts in cells in the skin called melanocytes.
- The most common sign of melanoma is the appearance of a new mole or a change in an existing mole
- There are two main types of UV rays that damage our skin, both of which can cause skin cancer:
- UVB causes most sunburns
- UVA ages the skin, however contributes less towards sunburn
- People with fair skin, red or fair hair and freckles are more sensitive to the sun.
- The link between exposure to the sun and skin cancer wasn’t discovered until 1956
- Nearly 90% of melanomas are thought to be caused by exposure to UV light and sunlight.
- It takes only one blistering sunburn, especially at a young age, to more than double a person’s chance of developing melanoma later in life.
- Exposure to tanning beds before age 30 increases a person’s risk of developing melanoma by 75%.
- Indoor tanning beds are proven to cause cancer and have been classified into the highest cancer risk category by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC).
- Young people who regularly use tanning beds are 8 times more likely to develop melanoma than people who have never used them.
- These tips can help protect your skin from too much UV exposure:
- Seek shade when possible
- Cover up with clothing, sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat
- Try to avoid being in the sun between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 30 and reapply every two hours
Focused Friends 
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