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As most of you will know, my husband Tom was diagnosed with stage 1b Melanoma in 2016. We had just found out that I was pregnant with our second little boy.

This was just an itchy mole that I happened to mention whilst we were getting my pregnancy bloods done at the doctors.

Tom had an operation to get this removed and we thought that that was it ....

Unfortunately a few months later, the cancer has spread to Tom's lymph nodes in his neck. He had a major operation (on his 30th birthday!) to have these removed.

He also underwent 6 weeks of radiotherapy on the area. (Meantime baby George arrived!)

Unfortunately, again this wasn't enough and another met appeared. When his skin had healed enough from the radiotherapy, he underwent another operation to have this cancer removed and again for a skin graft.

The day we went in for this operation, we were pulled into a side room and informed that the cancer had also spread to his lungs, liver and spleen.

From here Tom was given medication to try and control the disease. This treatment seemed to hold the cancer at bay and even reduce it in some areas for a significant time. 

Then, in November 2018 tom started getting headaches. They were so bad I took him to hospital. This is when we were told that the cancer had now spread to his brain. The medication he was currently taking did not work in the brain.

Tom had targeted radiotherapy on the brain .... But again this had no effect. 

He was switched onto immunotherapy in April 2019. His first treatment was 26th April. 

The day after his first treatment, at 1.30am tom had his first seizure in bed at home. It was terrifying. 

He was taken to Cramlington hospital where they carried out more scans.... And told me he now had epilepsy, most likely caused by the tumors on his brain.

Tom was given some anti epilepsy medication and sent home a few days later.

On Saturday that week, Tom had another seizure at home.

We went back to hospital where another scan confirmed that the existing tumors had swollen and unfortunately more had appeared.

After this devastating news, the doctors informed us that Tom was not fit enough to have any further treatment and the decision was made for him to be transferred to St Oswald's Hospice. 

Tom made a significant improvement whilst at St Oswalds but still has his up and down days.

All of the staff at St Oswald's have been so lovely and tom is comfortable in a nice environment as opposed to a hospital ward.

We will continue to pray for a miracle for Tom and in the meantime I have made it my mission to raise awareness about Melanoma and raise money for St Oswald's. 

Melanoma is not just skin cancer. Melanoma kills. It doesn't discriminate. 

Tom is the nicest man ever, loved by all and best Daddy to his two little boys.

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