A NURSE has warned of the danger of sunbathing, after her mum who used to wear “cooking oil” in the sun died of skin cancer.
Emma Watson’s mum, Jo, spent years worshiping the sun, but was otherwise a healthy and fit 59-year-old.
Jo, a mum-of-two and grandmother, was a regular gym-goer, vegetarian, didn’t smoke or drink and twice took part in the London Marathon.
But the awful disease – which she was first diagnosed with 18 years ago – eventually led to her death because it “couldn’t be stopped”.
Emma, aged 29, from Horley, told Surrey Live: “My mum used to be a sun worshipper. There was not the same awareness back then and she used to put cooking oil on her skin to go out in the sun!
“She was sun obsessed and used to travel around Europe in a VW camper van and even lived in France for a year.”
Jo, who worked as an accommodation manager for NHS staff at East Surrey Hospital, first went to the doctors with concern about a bleeding mole.
She had the mole removed and, after a follow-up appointment five years ago, was given the all-clear.
But early 2020, Jo started to suffer pains and then swelling in her lower abdomen.
A blood test suggested she could may be suffering from ovarian cancer but a CT scan revealed she had cancer lining her abdomen.
It meant her cancer had spread, and Jo was given treatment.
But by December, the cancer had spread to Jo’s abdomen and docs said there was nothing they could do.
Emma said: “A consultant at East Surrey Hospital told mum she was dying.
“It was January 20, a day after my birthday, I received an unexpected telephone call from her oncologist informing me that my beautiful, determined mum, had only a few short weeks left of her life.
“I will never forget those words for as long as I am alive.
“The few short weeks turned into a few short days and mum died under the amazing care of St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley, West Sussex.
“Every day I wake up and think about her. I miss her.
“Her heart was so strong because she was fit but the cancer couldn’t be stopped.
“My four-year-old daughter Frankie waves up to the sky every morning. She also misses her.”
Emma is grateful she gained a nursing degree just before her mum died, which left Jo “over the moon”.
Emma said: “When I was young I gave my mum a lot of grief. She used to say I would never get anywhere in my life.
“I wanted to prove to her I could make something of myself.”
After Jo’s tragic death, Emma is raising awareness of melanoma cancer.
Melanoma is the fifth most common cause of cancer in the UK, but almost 90 per cent of cases are preventable.
The condition can be avoided by keeping sun-safe; wearing suncream properly, wearing a hat or loose clothing in the sun, and avoiding the sun in the middle of the day.
People still get cancer from the strength of the sun in the UK.
Emma also believes mole mapping should be made free on the NHS to find more cases of the deadly disease.
Mole mapping is available privately and recommended for people who are deemed at high risk of skin cancer, including those who work outside, have a lot of moles or pale skin and previous severe sunburn.
