In 1984, when I was 12 years old, my dad, whom we called Dino, passed away, and my siblings and I were told that he had a brain tumour. As we grew older, we came to understand that the brain tumour had actually begun its life as a malignant mole on his thigh. The mole was removed, but the cancer had spread throughout his body, reaching his brain, which then became inoperable. He was 34 years old when he passed away.

Fast forward to 2021, and my good friend Sam's daughter, Izzy, was diagnosed with a malignant mole on her back. She was 24 years old. Izzy was an incredible person who, despite her diagnosis, continued to embrace life to the full. Izzy and the way she handled everything was nothing short of inspirational. She moved to London and advanced in her career. Every time I saw her, she had a smile on her face and was off doing something, whether that was taking a holiday or playing handball with her boyfriend George and friends. To the outside world, nobody would have known the mental load that she carried. For nearly two years, the treatment she received appeared to be working. However, no one could have predicted how quickly the cancer got the better of her. Lesions on her brain unfortunately took her aged just 26 years.

As an adult now, my perception of malignant melanoma is very different, and obviously, my understanding is different from that of 12-year-old me. Nearly 40 years later, and still melanoma is taking our loved ones. It doesn't discriminate, and everyone needs to be aware. Although treatments have advanced over time, there is no clear breakthrough for treating skin cancer successfully.

When Sam told me that Chris, Freya, George and she were setting up a charity in Izzys name to support research and awareness of melanoma, I volunteered to help in any way I could. So, at the age of 53 years, I said that I would abseil down the Spinnaker Tower and raise as much money as I could to support a charity that is so close to my heart. Sam, of course, didn't believe me, but here I am doing it!! Please support me by coming down to cheer me on and support the charity to raise as much as we can.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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