Woman's silly mistake leads to devastating discovery
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When Lauryn Bentham decided to spend the afternoon washing down her garden decking, she made sure she was covered in suntan lotion.
She spent hours outside scrubbing to get it all ready for the summer, but when she came back inside she realised she had missed a spot on her back where her t-shirt had pulled up.
She was bright red and in a lot of pain, so decided to go and see her GP.
He told her the sunburn wasn't anything to worry about, but he was concerned about a mole on her back and sent her to the hospital for tests.
After several tests and biopsies Lauryn, who lives in south Wales, was given the devastating news that it was skin cancer.
(Image: @lauryn__ava /Instagram)
She said: "My whole life just turned upside down. I cried for days.
"I was thinking I'm 29, I don't have kids, I haven't even started my life yet and I'm going to lose it.
"It was really really hard for quite a long time."
She said:
(Image: @lauryn__ava /Instagram)
However she was surprised by the response when she started telling people she had cancer, and she's worried people don't take it seriously.
She said: "People were like 'oh well, you've got skin cancer, you'll be alright'.
"People look at my scars and say 'is that is?'. But what you see on the outside, it's five times bigger under the skin.
"They really need to know that it's serious.
(Image: @lauryn__ava /Instagram)
"Moles do change and people don't really pay attention.
"They're so scared to go to the doctor but if it's a bad result it's so much better to be in the hospital two or three months earlier.
"Sun burn actually saved my life.
"You don't look at your back much so you don't really notice them changing.
"That's why I'm here and alive. I was extremely lucky.
"If you catch it early enough you can still have a life and do all the things you enjoy."
In the eight years since her diagnoses Lauryn has received excellent support and care from a number of hospitals and charities.
(Image: @lauryn__ava /Instagram)
But it's Macmillan which has really supported her and her family, so she was determined to give something back.
She started running to release stress and before long she had completed in a number events.
But she decided that just wasn't enough.
She said: "It just spiralled out of control."
She set herself the challenge of doing 40 events before she turned 40, but it quickly escalated to the 52 in 52 Challenge - where you take on 52 events in a year.
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Her final event was the London Marathon back in April, and she's already thinking about what she can do next.
She's already raised more than £4,000 .
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and Lauryn is trying to get the message out there so people get their moles checked.
Sue Green, senior information development nurse at Macmillan, has shared her expert tips for staying say in the sun.
Stay off the sunbed! Sunbeds give out harmful UV rays and the more frequently you use them the higher your risk of developing skin cancer. If it’s important for you to look tanned, use fake tan lotions or sprays.
Try to avoid the sun when it’s at its hottest – usually between 11 am-3pm.
Make sun cream your first accessory. By putting on sun cream before you get dressed you’ll avoid missing any spots which clothing may make hard to reach. It takes around half an hour for the protective SPF in sun cream to take effect, so by making it a priority in your skin care routine you’ll be protected as soon as you step out of the door.
Overexposure to the sun or sunburn in childhood increases the risk of developing skin cancer. Make sure your little ones are covered up and well protected if they’re heading outside to play.
Wear a hat. Pick one with a wide brim (at least 2 to 3 inches) made of a tightly woven fabric for maximum sun protection.
Fair-skinned people with freckles are at a higher risk of developing skin cancer. If you’re prone to turning red in the sun be sure to cover up, use sun cream with a high SPF factor and try to stay in the shade.
Map your moles. Regularly taking pictures of your moles can help you to monitor changes over time. Check in with your doctor as soon as you find a mole which looks unusual or has changed in appearance. You can also use the ABCDE list to help you know what to look out for when examining your moles. Watch out for: A – a symmetrical moles which are irregular in shape, B – b orders of moles which look blurred or jagged, C – moles with more than one c olour, D – moles with a d iameter of over 7mm and E – moles that e volve in nature over time.
To donate to Lauryn's fundraising page click here .