Leeds skin cancer patient saved my life, says friend

Jane Haigh was diagnosed with melanoma after a nurse spotted a mole on her leg

A man has shared how a friend saved his life by urging him to get a mole on his leg checked, before she died of cancer.

Jane Haigh, from Pudsey in West Yorkshire, died from melanoma in November last year aged 53.

Before her death, she spotted a mark on friend Gavin Snee's ankle, and encouraged him to see a doctor.

The mole turned out to be cancerous, and 52-year-old Mr Snee said he was called in to have it removed within days of diagnosis.

Mrs Haigh was diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer that can spread to other areas of the body, after a nurse raised concerns about a mole on her leg during a routine health check provided by her workplace.

Her husband Paul said the spot was "tiny, a couple of millimetres in size" and it was quickly removed.

Jane and Paul Haigh, with their twin sons

The couple, who have twin sons aged 21, hoped the cancer would not return.

But in March 2022, Mrs Haigh was told she had cancer in a lymph node in her groin, which was also removed, and the cancer then spread.

"It's such a sneaky disease, people don't realise how bad melanoma is," said Mr Haigh, 51.

"Jane was just such a positive person. I can't believe how inspirational she was. We had a perfect life."

While she was undergoing treatment, Mrs Haigh saw a mole on Mr Snee's ankle when they were in the garden at his home.

"He had his feet up and she said 'I don't mean to be funny but I would get that checked out as it doesn't look normal,'" Mr Haigh said.

"She just said it didn't look right.

"The doctor told him it was a good job, because if he left it six months to a year to get checked out, it would have been a different story. Gavin always says, 'I will never forget that Jane potentially saved my life'."

Gavin Snee, left, walked 88 miles with Paul Haigh to raise money for charity in Jane's memory

Mr Snee said he had noticed the mole had changed and become slightly raised but that he was not planning to do anything about it until Mrs Haigh "badgered" him into it.

"If she hadn't, I would have done a blokey thing and would have probably ignored it. Before I knew it, it was being cut out," he said.

"It is really treatable if you catch it early and it's easy to diagnose. I sent a photo to my GP and within days they had me in to have it removed."

Mr Snee, who has known Mr Haigh since they were aged 15, joined his friend for a huge fundraising challenge to raise awareness of skin cancer and support charity Melanoma UK.

They walked 88 miles, from Ilkley to Lake Windermere in the Lake District, and were joined by friends and family. The effort has raised nearly £12,000 for charity in Mrs Haigh's memory.

Jane's husband, Paul, completed an 88-mile walk in memory of his wife with support from friends and family