In the summer of 2016,  I was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma, 6 months later this progressed to my lymph nodes and by March 2017 I had a tumour diagnosed in my brain and it had progressed to stage 4 for which there is no cure. As little as 5 - 10 years ago a stage 4 melanoma diagnosis had a prognosis of 6 to 9 months. This was often shorter if like me the melanoma had travelled to the brain. Fortunately in the last 5 years new immunotherapy and targeted treatment have changed the outlook for some patients like me. However immunotherapy only works for 40 - 50 % of patients and the melanoma often develops resistance to targeted treatments so whilst there has been much progress there are still too many patients losing their lives to melanoma.

In the last 5 years I have been treated with immunotherapy (IPI/Nivo) but following a relapse in Dec 2017 I have been taking daily targeted treatment which has kept my melanoma under control. I write a blog to raise awareness of melanoma and you can read the full story of the rollercoaster that is living with stage 4 melanoma. www.shomelanoma.com

The last couple of years have been very challenging for charities as many fundraising events have been cancelled. Team Shomelanoma is taking on one of their biggest challenges to date climbing North Africa's tallest mountain Mount Toubkal in Morroco at 4167 m. It will be a 3 day trek and we will be contending with the heat of the Atlas mountains plus altitude and some very steep climbs. All funds raised from the challenge will go 100% towards melanoma research fund at the Royal Marsden under my Oncologist Professor James Larkin and his colleague Dr Samra Turajilic to help them continue to develop further life saving research to help them to continue making a difference and extend the lives of more melanoma patients. The care I receive from the melanoma team at the Royal Marsden is outstanding and I would not be here to do these challenges without them and for that I am forever grateful.  

Thank you for all of your support 

Team Shomelanoma