A MOTHER whose daughter died of skin cancer at the age of 25 is raising funds for research into the disease.

Kate Wignall, from Cornwall, passed away in 2021 just weeks before she was due to marry her teenage sweetheart, after months of symptoms that had left doctors baffled.

Kate was eventually diagnosed with melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.

Since her death, Kate’s parents, Sarah and Ronnie and her family and friends have fundraised for many causes she cared about and have donated more than £14,000 to Cancer Research UK.

Sarah said: “Kate was very young when she was diagnosed and it felt like she was almost too young for doctors to even consider she could have cancer at her age.

“If I went to the GP at 63 with her symptoms, they’d consider cancer, but with Kate, she was so young, it felt like it wasn’t on their radar. She was so passionate about early diagnosis and would post about it on her social media.

“Kate had just got engaged during the pandemic in 2020 when she began to feel unwell with chest pains and fatigue. It was tough because covid-19 meant it was hard to see doctors and as Kate was working as an occupational therapist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital during the pandemic, she thought her symptoms were due to the environment she was in.

“At one point, a lump appeared in her neck, which we now know was the melanoma spreading, and doctors thought she just had swollen glands. Then she went on to develop a bad back, but nobody seemed to join the dots.

“Eventually, when she was so poorly that she was unable to eat, she was admitted to hospital and didn’t come home for three weeks. They began testing her to find out what was making her so ill and the doctor said, ‘I think we’re missing something.’ Then I received a call from Kate who told me, ‘I think I’ve got cancer.’

“Because of covid she’d had to receive the news alone which was awful, so we all jumped in the car and stood outside her hospital window waving, so she knew we were there with her. They did let us see her for half-an-hour, but it wasn’t until a few days later that they identified exactly what type of cancer she had.

“Initially, they thought it was lymphoma but they then called us in to explain to us all that it was metastatic melanoma which had spread to her brain, skeleton, spleen, liver and lungs. We all looked at each other as they explained they could treat it but not cure it. I hoped that she would be able to live with it and thought that maybe everything would be ok.

“Kate began taking chemotherapy in tablet form and after three days she came home with various medications. She built up her strength and soon after we had a lovely break away in Penzance.

“At Christmas 2020, she looked a picture of health but shortly after her birthday in January, she started to feel unwell again and had found another lump. She tried more treatment options, including immunotherapy, but, unfortunately, they were unsuccessful.

“When she knew she wasn’t going to make her wedding that summer, Kate was tearful and gave me a wedding invitation that she had designed, because she just wanted someone to have received one.

“It was heart-breaking, but she was so incredibly brave through it all. She never once asked, ‘Why me?’ and was always thinking of everyone else throughout.”

Kate died on April 14, 2021, with her mother, father, sister Hannah and fiancé Ryan by her side.

Now her memory lives on through Kate’s Fund which was set up by her family to support causes that were important to her.

Kate’s Fund has helped mental health charities, animal charities, children’s charities and Cancer Research UK. This year Sarah and Ronnie presented their annual cheque towards research at the Falmouth Race for Life, where they also handed out medals at the finish line.

As part of its Turning Point for Cancer campaign, Cancer Research UK wants to see a commitment to diagnosing more cancers earlier in the government’s forthcoming National Cancer Plan for England.

Sarah said: “Never in a million years did I think my child would get cancer and it still hasn’t really sunk in. I wanted to do something positive that could give us a focus and help us keep Kate’s memory alive.

“I didn’t want her to be defined by cancer because she had 24 years of her life without it and had so many interests, so we fundraise for various causes close to her heart. But the research carried out by Cancer Research UK was really important to Kate and her fiancé Ryan, so we’ve continued to raise money to support that in the hope we can prevent other families going through what we’ve experienced.”

Kate, from St Austell, never used sunbeds and always tried to be safe in the sun. She also had no common visible signs of skin cancer. When she was younger, she’d had a harmless lump removed from her head and doctors believe that, over time, sun exposure to where the lump had been may be how the cancer started.

Cancer Research UK health information manager Beth Vincent said: “Getting sunburnt just once every two years can triple the risk of developing skin cancer, compared to never being burnt. Even on a cloudy day, the sun can be strong enough in Cornwall – and across the UK – to burn between mid-March and mid-October. So, we’re urging people to remember to use a combination of shade, clothing and sunscreen, with at least SPF 30 and four or five stars, to help protect their skin.”

Skin cancer is more common in people over the age of 50 but it can affect anyone of any age.

Cancer Research UK’s scientists are currently developing a non-invasive skin patch to help detect skin cancer at an early stage.