Woman says skin cancer diagnosis changed her life

Rhona Hewit, a woman with brown hair and tortoiseshell glasses. She is working in a commercial-style kitchen, and wearing a light pink sweater and black apron. She is cooking on a flat-top griddle, with food items sizzling on the surface. In the background, another person is busy at a stainless steel counter. The kitchen is equipped with metal shelves stocked with containers and utensils.

Rhona Hewit, 64, was diagnosed with skin cancer last year

A woman from Jersey said her life "changed forever" after she was diagnosed with skin cancer.

Rhona Hewit, 64, discovered a new "raised but bumpy" mark on her skin last year but said she was not concerned at the time.

However on a routine check to her doctor, she was subsequently sent to hospital and it was confirmed the mole was a melanoma - a serious type of skin cancer which can spread to other parts of the body.

She has urged others to see their doctor if they find something unusual on their skin, and said: "Just make that appointment and go and see and make sure that it's safe."

'Changes life forever'

After doctors at Jersey General Hospital removed the mole, Ms Hewit was sent to Southampton for further tests and procedures.

She has subsequently undergone 10 months of immunotherapy, and is hoping to complete her treatment later this summer.

Ms Hewit, who owns a kiosk on Jersey's Gorey beach, said it had "changed my life forever".

"But you have to be positive, you just have to take each treatment as it comes, move on.

"The thing that I always say to myself is, 'it won't always be like this.'"

Skin cancer is the most common cancer to affect people in the Channel Islands, and the mortality rate for skin cancer is higher in Jersey than in England.

How to reduce your risk of skin cancer

Ms Hewit praised cancer charity Macmillan Jersey for its support and understanding while she has undergone treatment.

She said that she had not previously been worried about skin safety, but her attitude had changed as a consequence of her diagnosis.

"Now I get up, I shower, I come out of the shower, I get dried off and I completely cover in sunscreen," she said.

"My bag has always got plenty of sunscreen in, which I reapply every couple of hours.

"I've got my hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and they're always with me all the time now."

Rhona Hewit, a woman in a light pink sweater and black apron, stands outside a small green food kiosk with an open door. A sign on the wall warns against beach littering and encourages proper bin use to keep Jersey clean. The surrounding area includes some plants and an outdoor setting.

The kiosk owner hopes to complete her treatment later this summer

Ms Hewit added: "Now I very much advocate for my own health.

"If there's something that I'm not sure about, then I get it seen to.

"We're not GPs. We're not dermatologists. We can't take that risk with our own health."

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