Milly's story
Milly was diagnosed with skin cancer at just 32 with two young children. She shares how she’s raising awareness of melanoma and how Penny Brohn UK supported her.
My family life involves my husband, two young children, and the cat, Chippy. I enjoy going to the gym and spending time with my family and my friends.
My diagnosis
My diagnosis was very unexpected. I was 32 and had two young daughters – one three and a half, the other eighteen months old. Life was busy, noisy, full, and demanding. Since having my first daughter I had this skin lesion growth on my jawline. I was referred went to the dermatologist at the hospital, but they said it was nothing. A year later, it got bigger, and I was cosmetically worried about it, but again the GP disregarded it and said it was nothing. Then when it was really bothering me, I had it removed at a private surgery. I had a follow-up call with the doctor and they mentioned cancer, and I was referred to the hospital. Again, I was reassured that it was just formality and was probably nothing.
At the hospital, I was introduced to a Macmillan nurse, which worried me because no one had confirmed it was cancer yet. I had more surgery to check if there were any cancer cells or if it had gone deeper. As the legion was removed privately and hadn’t been received at the NHS Hospital, I asked for my histology report. I didn’t expect them to send it in response to my email, I was stood in a playground with my girls, I opened it, and it said malignant melanoma. That actually confirmed it, this is cancer. That was really shocking, it broke my world apart. I felt well. I had very few moles, mostly freckles. I’m fair-skinned, with strawberry-blonde hair, and I grew up on the south coast by the beach. We spent summer family holidays in Europe, and I played golf from the age of eight. I never used sunbeds. Skin cancer wasn’t something I ever thought would happen to me. But it did.
I had a lymph node biopsy and had four removed and one came back present with melanoma cells. That triggered it to stage three which meant I started chemotherapy.
My treatment
My diagnosis and surgery was with the NHS, and then I visited GenesisCare. I had targeted immunotherapy to stop any further potential spread, which meant I was taking tablets at home.
Unfortunately, my body didn’t react well to them. I was meant to do a year, but I only did six months in the end. I was having low neutrophilia, so I was at risk of sepsis. With two young children at nursery, I was at high risk of picking up an infection. During those first six months on chemo, I had to keep changing my dose to make it lower to see if my body would take it. But every time that happened, I would be in hospital because I’d have a temperature and they’d have to check for sepsis. So we decided to stop it early. This was worrying but I had a CT scan which came back as all clear.
I didn’t know any people a similar age that were going through anything like this. When you’re a young mum, it’s hard enough just getting by every day, and you want to do the best for your children. There is never a right time to have cancer. But being a mum to small children was hard, I’d answer calls from nurses with toddlers in the background.
Having my young children made me get up every day. It reminded me I have something to live for. It was obviously exhausting, mentally and physically, but there was still so much joy being at home, and we tried to focus more on the present. For my family, even though we’ve been through a lot, it’s brought us together.
My surgery gave me a long scar from my ear all the way down my neck. My nephew couldn’t look at me when he visited, he was hiding behind a toy, it feels so funny now. I’m lucky I had lots of support. My parents and my mother-in-law are not local to Bristol, but they supported me. I’ve got two sisters that live in Bristol which was a huge help. My employer was also really supportive.
Above all, my husband was my anchor. When my world felt like it was falling apart, he carried on with strength, positivity, and quiet determination. His support gave me something solid to lean on when everything felt uncertain.
When I started accessing Penny Brohn UK
It was really valuable to have the support of Penny Brohn UK, especially the exercise sessions, because that meant every week I was getting stronger and fitter, mentally stronger as well. When I was at GenesisCare, Penny Brohn UK was there as standard care being provided and that was vital. This support changed everything.
At a time when so much felt clinical, rushed, and overwhelming, Penny Brohn UK offered something different: time, humanity, and whole-person care. I had access to nutritionists, nurses, exercise therapists, relaxation sessions, and reflexology. They supported not just my diagnosis, but me – as a mother, a woman, and a person trying to stay strong through uncertainty. For the first time in months, my body felt cared for, not just monitored. The support from Penny Brohn UK held my spirits up during one of the hardest periods of my life. It helped to feel like I wasn’t alone.
Having Penny Brohn UK there was amazing. When I got to GenesisCare, I was quite broken and traumatised. It was really important to have a nurturing, supportive group of people because it’s not all just about medicine and surgery. People forget that when you’ve got cancer, you can’t go and have a normal massage for example. There are loads of boundaries. They might need to check insurance, or they don’t know how to treat you. With Penny Brohn UK, there were people dedicated to helping you and they are experts in cancer support. I also receive the weekly service email newsletters which is great to see what’s coming up.
Knowing that Penny Brohn UK are there should I or anyone I know need it is amazing. It’s the nurturing and support that you feel through your body and mind, which is missed in the clinical setting. It’s that extra layer, you can’t just fix someone with medicine and surgery, you need to look at the whole-person. If I didn’t access Penny Brohn UK I think I’d still be carrying a lot more trauma and be very broken. I will always be grateful for the role Penny Brohn UK played in helping me feel stronger, calmer, and more hopeful – not just as a patient, but as a mother finding her way through the hardest chapter of her life.
I attended a Mind Matters Cancer Support Day which was both grounding and reassuring. It offered gentle, practical guidance on how to continue caring for my body through nutrition, movement, and relaxation, in a way that felt calm and manageable. Being surrounded by others who truly understood the cancer experience brought a deep sense of connection, and the warmth and compassion of the staff made the day feel safe and supportive. Visiting the centre itself gave me comfort – simply knowing it’s there if I ever need it again brings real reassurance. Now I would tell anyone about Penny Brohn UK, that’s why it’s so important. I’m really grateful that the charity exists.
My hopes for the future
As my diagnosis is melanoma, I have a five year after plan. I’m just over one year into that now with CT scans every six months for three years with regular skin checkups. Having cancer was such a traumatic experience but I’m in a better place now. What’s hard about melanoma is that it’s the sun that causes the cancer. I got diagnosed in June which was obviously peak summer.
It’s completely altered my view on sun culture and creating more safe sun awareness. There’s always anxiety when it starts to get warmer and I’ve got to protect my children. My future ambition is to create more awareness of safe sun exposure. This experience has given me a new sense of purpose. My ambition is to stay well, live in the present, and raise awareness about safe sun practices.
We’d like to thank each of our clients for sharing their experience. The words used in each case study are preferred by the client featured. Penny Brohn UK encourages everyone to use their own words to tell their story. If you have any questions about any of the language used, please email comms@pennybrohn.org.uk.