Twelve years!

It’s difficult to believe that a single word — melanoma — has shaped more than a decade of my life. Not just shaped it, but turned it inside out, upside down, and into something I could never have imagined. When I first heard the diagnosis all those years ago, I had no idea that the road ahead would include surgeons, immunotherapy, hospital wards, and scan rooms… but also airplanes, mountains, friendships, miracles, and a community that has carried me, even in the darkest moments.

The Early Days: When Life Suddenly Changes

**A “nasty” looking mode – very innocuous!**

My journey began in 2013, aged 49 with a mole — a stubborn little dot that didn’t look quite right. I was diagnosed with melanoma. At first, people assume skin cancer means a quick removal and then life goes back to normal. I wish it had been that simple.

But melanoma isn’t simple.

Mine spread – it’s not JUST the skin!!

It became advanced and attacked my internal organs.

It became STAGE 4

Surgeries followed. Then more surgeries. Then immunotherapy. The hospital became a regular part of my life — appointments, scans, blood tests, results days filled with anxiety. Melanoma took pieces of me quite literally. Pancreas gone. Spleen gone. Other organs attacked. But even when melanoma was taking things from my body, I refused to let it take who I was.

Majority of my pancreas and all of my spleen removed – Stage 4 2021.

What surprised me was not how strong I could be, but how strong the people around me were. Friends. Family. Strangers who became supporters. People who stood beside me without flinching, even on the days when I wanted to disappear.

Finding Purpose in the Pain

At some point on this journey, something shifted. Cancer was no longer just something happening to me.

It became a mission.

I realised I could turn this nightmare into something meaningful — a chance to raise awareness of the dangers of UV exposure and early detection. I started speaking publicly about melanoma, appearing on radio, TV, and in print. My message was simple:

Skin cancer is not “just skin cancer.” It can be deadly — and preventable.

The more I spoke, the more people reached out to share their own stories:

A mole they’d ignored
A diagnosis they feared
A loved one they’d lost

My experience was no longer isolated — it was connected to something much bigger.

Challenges That Became Symbols

Along the way, I decided to raise money for Melanoma UK — a charity that supports patients, funds research, and works tirelessly so others won’t face what I have. I didn’t just want to ask people for donations – I wanted to earn them. A desire to inspire others and to show what was possible even when your body has been battered and stitched back together was massive so I set myself challenges. Real challenges.

- Wing walking above Cirencester – strapped to the wings of a plane, soaring above the countryside, feeling completely alive.

- Kilimanjaro, August 2023 — my first attempt to reach the summit. I climbed with a group of 17-year-olds who became lifelong friends. We shared altitude sickness, tears, laughter, and the quiet magic of watching the sun rise over Africa.

Creating a documentary-style video and my own website — telling the story of my journey and using it to reach thousands of people for melanoma awareness.

- Kilimanjaro (round two), December 2024 – This time, timed to coincide with Tanzania Independence Day. Again, I was determined to reach Uhuru Peak, snow or no snow. Because sometimes the bravest thing we can do is go back to where it hurt, and try again.

- - Mount Toubkal, September 2025 – the highest peak in North Africa. The climb was tough: long days on rocky trails, cold winds cutting through the thin air – But every step had purpose. With each kilometre walked and every metre gained in elevation even more money was raised for Melanoma UK. Standing high in the Atlas Mountains watching the sun rise over the Atlas Mountains, I felt overwhelming gratitude — not just for the view, but for the support, the donations, and the knowledge that this journey continues to make a difference.

Those challenges weren’t just physical – they were incredibly symbolic. Every step was testament to the experiences with he cancer and the fact that I’m not done. I still have a story to tell.

The donations still keep coming in and all in all ~I have raised around £40,000 for Melanoma UK. These funds have been earmarked to provide essential medical equipment primarily aimed at early detection of skin cancer. The donations have come from all corners – friends, colleagues, family and total strangers who have been inspired by my stories. It still continues and if you would like to contribute then please CLICK HERE.

Every pound raised… every conversation sparked… every person who booked a skin check because of something I said… that’s victory.

Life, Loss, and What Really Matters

Cancer doesn’t happen inside a vacuum. While I was going through treatment and fundraising, real life was happening around me. I experienced immeasurable loss — the death of both parents, and the heartbreaking passing of my beloved dog Norman, who waited for me to return from Kilimanjaro training before he slipped away. My grief and determination became intertwined.

The mountain wasn’t just a mountain anymore — it became a monument to survival, to love, to the people I carry with me even when they’re no longer physically here.

At 61, with limited hair, glasses, and a few more scars than I’d like, I stand in the mirror and see someone different from the man I was twelve years ago. But in a strange way, I also see someone stronger — someone who knows the value of every sunrise, every breath, every hug, and every moment of laughter.

And Now… Another Chapter Begins

Recently, after a period of stability and No Evidence of Disease, I received news no patient ever wants to hear: The melanoma has returned. This time in the small intestine and bowel meaningI need more immunotherapy.The immunotherapy is scheduled to last over the next 2 years and will include round after round of bloods, scans, side effect – uncertainty. This time however I face this new challenge as someone who is frightened and isolated, I face it as someone who has:-

Climbed Mountains
Walked on wings and done acrobatics in the sky
Raised nearly £40,000 for Melanoma UK
Inspired others to have skin checks
Turned pain into purpose

My cancer may have returned — but so has my determination.

If you’re reading this, here’s what I want you to know:-

Protect your skin
Check your skin
Get suspicious moles checked early
Support skin cancer charities – they make a difference to our understanding of this disease, and
if life knocks you down… climb back up. Even if it’s a mountain.

It’s as easy as A,B,C, D and E

Thank you for being part of my journey. Thank you for donating, sharing, supporting, and believing. This next chapter may require immunotherapy instead of altitude, but the mission remains the same:

Awareness saves lives. Mine. Yours. Someone’s.

I may be heading back into the ring with melanoma —

but I’m not fighting it alone

Muttley Melanoma

Twelve Years of Melanoma — Pain, Purpose, and the Climb Ahead