Mother devastated after discovering itchy back was a symptom of a serious condition

Gil Live-Rochester’s 13-year-old daughter Emme urged her to make a doctor’s appointment and two malignant melanomas were found on her skin

One mother warns others to get checked out after itchy mole turns skin cancer

Gil Liv-Rochester, scratched his back repeatedly but didn’t know he had a mole on his skin

She was diagnosed with two malignant melanomas after her 13-year-old daughter, Emme, urged her to make a doctor’s appointment and another mole was found on her shoulder.

Gill, 36, of County Durham, at first thought it was nothing serious, but was devastated after it turned out it was cancer.

The mum-of-two is now hosting a fundraising event for the Melanoma-Me charity that raises skin cancer awareness and provides support for people with the condition and their families.

Gill told Chronicle Live: “I had a mole but I didn’t know it was there because it was on my lower back.

“My daughter said to me: ‘Ma’am you keep scratching your back, what’s the matter?’ He said maybe I should get it checked.

“Looking back now, I didn’t realize how tired I was and my skin was really dry.

“I thought it would be nothing or something very minor. When I went to the doctors, they asked how long I had on my shoulder but I didn’t know I had one.

“It all happened very fast. I saw the GP in the middle of the week and by Monday I was being operated on.

“I was told that malignant melanoma is the most serious and aggressive form and that by six to eight weeks it would spread to my organs — I never realized it was serious. Thankfully it was stage one.”

Gill now wants to raise awareness of the dangers of skin cancer and said she believes people still believe melanoma heals once it is removed.

She said: “With skin cancer, a lot of people think it’s not that serious and you just take it off and that’s it, but that’s not the case at all. I’m still recovering from another biopsy, but I’m there. I am reaching.

“People ask me if they should get a mole checked out and I will always say get it checked out. It may not be anything but it can be something.”

Gill is now organizing a fundraising event in June to help raise money for Melanoma-Me, which she calls “wonderful.”

She said: “I didn’t get in touch with them right away, but they’ve been amazing. They were screaming people out to help and they were struggling with money and felt like I needed to give something back.

“It really helps to talk to other people going through a similar experience as you. I guess while you can’t fully understand it, but Melanoma-Me has been so helpful, I can’t thank them enough.” can give.”

The event will take place on June 26 with raffles, auctions and food stalls.

Anyone wishing to donate prizes to the raffle can contact Gill through his Facebook page.