OVER £21,000 has been raised after a “typical teenage lad” from Lochmaben was diagnosed with stage four skin cancer which has spread to his lungs and liver.
Nineteen-year-old Charlie Watson and his devastated family are desperately trying to raise funds for research and development after finding out he is battling nodular malignant melanoma, which is a fast-growing and dangerous type of skin cancer.
A fundraiser called Charlie Boy’s Cancer Fund was set up this week by his mum Amanda Woods and has already managed to raise £21,156 and has been shared nationally.
She said: “There is no amount of money in the world that a mother wouldn’t try to raise, to try to find a cure for their child.
“If I could I would swap places with him, I would in a heartbeat. As a parent I’ve never felt so helpless in my life. The least I can do is start this fundraising page.
“We want to say a huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who has got behind this campaign, your words of support are beyond measurable to us all.
“We have been inundated with the most amazing requests to fundraise for the cause, which we greatly appreciate. Please do not hesitate to get in touch should you wish to raise funds.
“All funds raised will go towards research, development, trials and raising awareness of the awful disease.”
Charlie’s cancer journey started last summer when he noticed a mole start to change on his abdomen following a lads holiday to Magaluf. The mole grew around
one inch in size before some of it pulled off and it was eventually removed in October.
However, two weeks later Charlie – who plays football for Threave Rovers and is in his third year apprenticeship in joinery – was told he had skin cancer.
Amanda recalled: “It came as a shock to all of us. Charlie is a typical teenage lad and lives a very active lifestyle.
“When he was away in Magaluf, he burnt quite bad and when he came back, a mole started to appear on his left abdomen. Over time, it grew and grew.
“We never thought that this mole could have been malicious. Now we’ve been told by doctors that there is no cure.”
Just before Christmas, Charlie underwent surgery to have a sentinel lymph node biopsy and PET scan to see if the cancer had spread.
And it was confirmed the cancer had spread to the nearby lymph nodes under his armpit and was at stage three.
Charlie then started taking tablets to try and help him but he maintained his day-to-day life: working, celebrating his 19th birthday and playing football for Queen of the South Reserves, where he picked up player of the year awards.
He moved to Threave Rovers and last played for them two weeks ago. The plan for the targeted therapy was to take the tablets morning and night for a year as a preventative to stop any cancer spreading. However this soon changed and Charlie received a phone call from the hospital last week asking for a face-to-face appointment to discuss his latest CT scan.
Doctors revealed the disease has now spread to his liver and lungs and reached stage four.
The next step for Charlie is to start immunotherapy – a treatment that harnesses the patient’s own immune system to recognise and fight the cancer cell.
Amanda added: “The side effects with immunotherapy can be extremely tough but Charlie Boy is driven and determined to get through this. We are too, he can beat this!
“Charlie can also be considered for upcoming clinical trials if immunotherapy isn’t effective. Trials are very costly, but they are the way forward for finding a cure.”
Charlie had his first immunotherapy infusion on Tuesday and it is hoped the treatment will slow the disease down.
Amanda added: “Once Charlie starts immunotherapy and gets a positive response we will start hosing events and fundraisers to raise awareness about the causes and risks associated with skin cancer and also to try to raise as much money as possible, that we give back to research to find cure for this awful disease.
“No amount is too small, and every contribution matters in this battle. We are also keen to listen to any ideas people have for fundraising and events or if you would like to host an event then please get in touch.
“We want to stress the importance of protecting skin against the sun: even when it’s not glorious sunshine, remember to wear sunscreen and be sun safe.
“Whether you have lots of moles or just a few moles, it’s so important to get any changes checked out.”
n If you would like to donate visit: www.gofundme.com/charlie-boys-cancer-fundraiser
