BBC presenter's melanoma campaign 'saved our lives'

A couple has credited a BBC presenter's campaign to raise awareness of skin cancer risks with saving their lives.

Before his death from melanoma skin cancer in 2015, BBC Radio Derby's Colin Bloomfield, 33, set up the Colin Bloomfield Sun Safe Campaign, with help from the Nottinghamshire-based charity Skcin, to try to prevent similar cases.

After deciding to get their skin checked out by doctors because of Mr Bloomfield's campaign, John and Linda Williams, from Mackworth in Derby, were told they had moles that were cancerous.

Since both getting the all-clear from doctors, Mrs Williams said: "Finding it early is vital and had we left it any longer, things would be a lot, lot worse."

Mr Williams said he found a mark, about a millimetre in size, on his left knee that he had never been worried about until the Sun Safe Campaign appeal was launched in 2015.

The campaign directly inspired 479 people to get their skin checked out by experts, more than 100 of whom were urged to go for further tests.

In November 2015, Mr Williams said he noticed the mark was "noticeably darker" when he returned home from a holiday in the Bahamas.

After having a check-up with a dermatologist in February 2016, they took the mole out and tests revealed it was melanoma.

In April 2016, they then took a larger amount of skin and tests showed he was then cancer free.

Speaking to BBC Radio Derby in 2016, Mr Williams said: "All the work and publicity that Colin Bloomfield did, detected my melanoma at an early stage.

"I think Colin Bloomfield has made a tremendous impact in what he has done for me."

After her husband received the all-clear, Mrs Williams decided she wanted to get a mark on her face checked out by doctors in July 2016.

"I had an original biopsy that found nothing on my mark," said Mrs Williams.

"When they looked at it again after it was removed, they found melanoma in the middle of it. We were both very lucky to catch the cancer at an early stage."

Mrs Williams said the campaign had been "very important" to her and her husband and she has now urged people to get their moles checked out.

"If we see anyone with a mark or a mole, we always tell them to get it checked out and we want to help them with that first step," she added.

"Colin's legacy has reached a lot of people and it has saved both of our lives.

"It's better to be safe than sorry, so buying sun cream and putting it on could save your life."

During a recent trip to Trinidad and Tobago, the couple said they ensured they wore factor 50 sun cream "in the morning, afternoon and reapplied again after swimming".

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