Mum has ‘days to live’ after getting the all-clear from a ‘dodgy mole’ which led to 12 brain tumours
A MUM-of-one was told she has days to live years after being given the all-clear for a dodgy looking mole - as the cancer spread to her stomach and brain, causing 12 tumours.
Belinda Ainsworth's daughter Charlie Ainsworth, 37, was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2016, after noticing an unusual-looking mole on her leg that lingered for a few months.
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She had the mole removed and was given the all clear - but was told by doctors last year that the disease had returned and she has got 12 brain tumours and two masses in her stomach.
The mum-of-one has been told by specialist palliative care doctors that she has days to live which has left Belinda, 59, "absolutely broken".
Speaking from Charlie's bedside, Belinda said: "My heart is absolutely broken. Charlie's not just my daughter, she's my best friend.
"We do everything together - absolutely everything.
"I just can't imagine my life without her."
She is now pleading with other people to get their moles looked at.
Belinda said: "Any slight changes in a mole or anything [unusual] means that you need to get it checked out."
Charlie was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2016, after discovering an unusual mole on her leg.
But she had the mole removed and was given the all-clear.
Charlie, of Accrington, Lancs., then realised she had a lump on her leg but was repeatedly told by her GP that it was a lipoma - soft, fatty lumps that grow under the skin, which are benign.
In 2024, it was discovered that her cancer had returned and had spread to her lungs and hip, and she had two brain tumours.
Charlie had chemotherapy tablets and two rounds of radiotherapy but has now been told she has 12 brain tumours and two masses in her stomach.
Belinda said: "Charlie had been in the hospital for 12 days and she couldn't use her left leg, she's lost use of all of her left side.
"One of tumours has gone aggressively and she's got swelling in the brain.
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"They have told me that there is no treatment they can give her and now she's got days to live."
Charlie was eight when she was diagnosed with an under-active thyroid - which happens when the thyroid gland doesn't produce enough hormones - and she got told she was type one diabetic a year later.
Because of her diabetes, she was told she would never be able to have children but found out she was pregnant in 2016.
While she was pregnant, her kidneys began failing and she was advised by doctors to terminate the pregnancy - but the mum decided against it and and gave birth to her son Elijah in 2017.
Charlie was placed on dialysis and had to have both a kidney and pancreas transplant.
IF you've spotted a new mole or lingering mark on your skin, don't be too quick to dismiss it.
It's important to know what your skin looks like normally, to helps you notice any unusual changes.
The ABCDE rule can be followed to assess the health of a mole.
If your mole falls into the following, it’s worth getting checked:
- Asymmetrical – melanomas usually have two very different halves and are an irregular shape
- Border – melanomas usually have a notched or ragged border
- Colours – melanomas will usually be a mix of two or more colours
- Diameter – most melanomas are usually larger than 6mm in diameter
- Enlargement or elevation – a mole that changes size over time is more likely to be a melanoma
Most melanomas don’t give you symptoms like pain or itching.
Meanwhile, some non-cancerous moles or abnormal patches of skin can be itchy.
So having some of these changes on their own doesn't mean you definitely have melanoma, but you should still get it checked out.
There are two main types of skin cancer - non melanoma skin cancer and melanoma skin cancer.
Non-melanoma skin cancer includes:
- Basal cell skin cancer - this is also called basal cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell skin cancer - this is also called squamous cell carcinoma
There are a few different types of melanoma too:
- Superficial spreading melanoma
- Nodular melanoma
- Lentigo maligna melanoma
Find out more about distinguishing moles here.
Belinda, a hospital ward clerk, has now had to tell Elijah, now seven, that his mum isn't going to get better.
Belinda said: "Elijah has always been used to Charlie being in and out of hospital so normally it doesn't phase him.
"This time it's different because we've fetched her home and she can't use her left side and she is so poorly.
"We've had to sit him down and tell him that mummy isn't going to get better.
"He just sobbed."
Belinda has now set up a Go Fund Me page to help pay for Charlie's funeral and any extra money will be given to Elijah when he's older.
You can donate to the fundraising page here.
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