A Mission To Tackle Melanoma
Lytham’s David Uttley has been living with skin cancer since 2013. Following a recent family bereavement, he discovered a determination to raise money to provide the area with specialist medical equipment which will help others facing melanoma, as Alma Stewart learns
Born in the former Lytham Hospital on Warton Street, 59 year-old David Uttley has lived in the Fylde all his life with his roots firmly in Lytham. His grandad was one of the Parkinson family, a shrimper working on the local coast. Following his studies at Kirkham Grammar School, David’s first job was at the NatWest bank in St Annes and a career in financial services followed. Married with a son, life chugged along nicely.
It was on holiday in Spain in 2013 when wife Patricia noticed the mole on David’s shoulder blade looked different. Once home, David’s GP sent him to the skin cancer service at Clifton Hospital where the mole was removed and the pathology lab confirmed it was malignant melanoma. More of David’s skin then had to be removed. He then remained under the careful watch of dermatology and plastics.
David said: “Initially I was told to be extra vigilant when checking my lymph basins which I did fairly religiously. Then one day in 2017, I found a pea-sized lump in my right armpit and off to the consultant I went. The culprit was removed and then I was asked back to have the whole of my right armpit cleared of lymph nodes as a precaution.”
With this second issue, David pushed for regular scans. He had six monthly scans for three years which were all very uneventful. Then in 2021 the scans were reduced to annually. The family relaxed a little, but once again, cancer reared its ugly head: “I remember being out on a walk with my wife when my skin cancer nurse rang. Her words echo nearly every day: “I’m afraid you have a sinister object in your pancreas.” I quite literally sank to my knees in sheer disbelief and terror. Pancreas is not good news! After some initial chats I went to the specialist unit in Blackburn Hospital under the very careful watch of my consultant Asma Sultana. She quite literally saved my life in a 14 hour operation in which she removed most of my pancreas. Originally, it was to be keyhole surgery but as the operation progressed it became clear that the team would have to revert to the more traditional method. The tumour had wrapped itself around a main artery – one nick in the wrong place could have been catastrophic. If it wasn’t for the scans, her expertise and the diligence of the oncology team at Rosemere in Preston, headed by Professor Ruth Board, I simply would not be here.”
Immunotherapy treatment followed, and though the cancer is classed as Stage 4, David explains: “When people hear the term ‘Stage 4’, they immediately think that it means terminal. But it just means that the cancer has spread to another area.”
Fate dealt another blow last year when David’s beloved mother, Elaine, passed away on a plane returning from a trip to Spain. After her funeral, David realised that he had to live his life being true to himself and decided to commit to raise money and awareness for the disease.
In December 2022, he set up a Go Fund Me page with a target of £45,000 for Melanoma UK. This amount is enough to buy a Horus Mole Mapping scanner which uses digital technology used to create a ‘map’ of the whole body, assessing all moles and tracking any changes.
He started with a wing walk on 7th July near Cirencester on a 1940’s Boeing Stearman Biplane. David describes the experience: “A couple of days before I arrived, I rang to check exactly what was to happen on the flight. It was a very well-structured circuit around the skies above the airfield with turns, climbs and dives that could be as severe as you instructed your pilot. A brilliant experience. However, I opted to pay for a second flight complete with a loop, Cuban 8 and a couple of barrel rolls. High in the sky feeling free and just so beautiful.”
But the adventures did not stop there. On 30th July, David made a six-day expedition to the top of Kilimanjaro: “It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. At Uhuru Peak, 19,345ft above sea level, I spread some of my mum’s ashes that I had taken with me. It was a very emotional point of the trip for a whole host of reasons. It was an incredible experience – physically, emotionally and mentally. A trip with four young people that I will never ever forget.”
David has raised more than £20,000 so far and is currently considering his next fundraising event. He added: “It’s like the clergy saying they have a calling – I just have to raise as much money as possible. I desperately want to make a difference for all those who come after me in their melanoma journey. I am one of the lucky ones. I want people to be more aware of their skin – use sunscreen, check for moles, visit the GP with any concerns and don’t use sunbeds. Please be more aware – you can avoid this terrible disease. Life is too short as it is.”
If you would like to sponsor David visit: gofundme.com/f/-challenge-david-uttley
For more information on skin cancer visit: melanomauk.org.uk
