When children’s author Russ Walker noticed a small mark on his arm beginning to change, he decided to get it checked. His experience with melanoma in situ would eventually inspire a children’s story designed to help families have difficult conversations in a gentle and reassuring way.
Russ never expected that a small mark on his left forearm would have such an impact on his life and his family.
Over time, he noticed that the mark had changed and did not look quite right. It also did not look like the type of melanoma he had previously expected to see.
Despite that, Russ decided to have it checked.
“Looking back, that simple decision was one of the most important I’ve ever made.”
Following further tests, Russ was diagnosed with melanoma in situ, specifically an amelanotic malignant melanoma of a vitiligo-like type. Because it had been detected at an early stage, the melanoma had not become invasive.
He underwent surgery, including a wider excision and a skin graft, and describes the recovery as something that took time both physically and emotionally.
“Hearing the word ‘cancer’ was frightening, but I was incredibly fortunate that it had been found before it had become invasive.”
Helping his children understand
Russ’s treatment did not only affect him.
His young children were naturally curious about the large patch on their dad’s arm and wanted to understand what had happened. Russ wanted to answer their questions honestly, but without making the experience frightening for them.
He struggled to find something that explained skin cancer, treatment and recovery in a way that very young children could understand.
That became the inspiration for Daddy’s Brave Patch.
Russ wrote the story to offer families a gentle way to talk about what can otherwise be difficult subjects.
“I wanted children to know that it’s okay to ask questions, share their worries and understand that the people caring for them are there to help them get better.”
For Russ, the purpose of the book goes beyond explaining his own experience. He hopes it can help other parents find the words to talk to their children and help children feel less anxious about what is happening around them.
A message about checking your skin
There is another message Russ hopes people take from his story: do not ignore something simply because it does not look how you expect skin cancer to look.
His own melanoma did not have the appearance he had previously associated with the disease.
“Most skin changes will not be cancer, but if something is new, changing or doesn’t look right, please get it checked. Early diagnosis made all the difference for me.”
Russ hopes sharing his experience will encourage others to pay attention to changes in their skin and seek medical advice when something concerns them.
And for families going through their own experience of skin cancer, he hopes Daddy’s Brave Patch can make one of those difficult conversations a little easier.
“If Daddy’s Brave Patch helps even one family feel less alone, or encourages one person to have a suspicious mark checked sooner, then writing it will have been more than worthwhile.”
If you notice a new or changing mark on your skin, or something that does not look right to you, speak to your GP.
