Mum's cancer diagnosis after daughter spots mole
![Natasha and Maisy](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/2048/cpsprodpb/f876/live/32c65d40-4da8-11ef-ab08-f7e58fafd280.jpg)
Natasha was getting ready for her daughter Maisy's football game when the youngster pointed out the mole
- Published
A woman is being treated for skin cancer after her 11-year-old daughter spotted a mole on her back as she stepped out of the shower.
Natasha, of Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, was getting ready for her daughter Maisy's football game when the youngster pointed out the mole.
The 43-year-old teaching assistant rang her GP and was diagnosed with aggressive melanoma two weeks later.
"It's still treatable, but more intense treatment [is required]," she said.
It was a Saturday morning and the mother-of-two had been getting ready for Maisy's football.
“I popped into the shower and when I came out I wrapped a towel around me," she said.
“Where the mole is positioned, it is almost impossible for me to see, but Maisy immediately spotted it and said ‘Wow, mum, your mole has really grown’.
“I grabbed a mirror and I could see the mole had changed substantially and grown."
Natasha was left with a 10cm (3.93ins) scar after the mole was removed
Natasha said the thickness of her mole was a "very large" 6.3mm (0.24ins).
“Without Maisy spotting my mole who knows what would have happened,” she added.
The mother was later told she needed "intense treatment" as the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.
She was left with a 10cm (3.93ins) scar after the mole was removed under general anaesthetic.
“Being diagnosed with skin cancer was a huge shock and a very difficult time for me," Natasha added.
“As a family we went through so much, and that’s why I’m sharing my story to help spare others from similar heartache."
Get in touch
What stories would you like BBC News to cover from Essex?
Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, external, Instagram, external and X, external.
Related topics
- Published21 April 2023
- Published10 December 2019