MEET OUR NEWEST AMBASSADOR - DAVE UTTLEY

We are delighted to welcome Dave Uttley to the Melanoma UK family as our newest Ambassador.  Dave was diagnosed with melanoma in 2013 and the nasty words "you have got cancer" changed his life forever.  Dave's main goal is to help educate people of the dangers of Melanoma and the impact the sun can have on our skin.

A big part of Dave's role will be to help other melanoma patients stay strong and realise that life doesn't stop after a melanoma diagnosis. Dave will be a wonderful source of support to others. He has just finished a 15 month course of Immunotherapy and is determined to really give his all to other melanoma sufferers. His experiences over the last 10 years have given him great strength and determination to get through adversity.

Dave said "to be able to educate people of the dangers of Melanoma and the sun is massively important - the danger of leaving things alone and burying your head is just too much of a very expensive risk. Early diagnosis is the key and education runs hand in hand with that. We need to know what to look for and what to do. The last 10 years have been a roller coaster and the last 18 months have been a massive challenge - mentally and physically.

With all that said, Dave has set out on a Melanoma UK Challenge 2023 to climb Kilimanjaro!! He is training fairly hard for the gruelling 7day hike in Africa to summit at 19,341 ft! His trip will start on July 30^th as he sets out from Heathrow.

Kilimanjaro is the fourth most topographically prominent peak on Earth. It is part of Kilimanjaro National Park and is a major hiking and climbing destination. Because of its shrinking glaciers and ice fields, which are projected to disappear between 2025 and 2035, it has been the subject of many scientific studies.

As another part of Dave’s fund raising antics he has also teamed up with Life Changing Challenges (who have organised his Kilimanjaro trip) to participate in a Wing Walk sometime before he jets off on his Kilimanjaro Expedition.

As you can see from all this Dave has got his hands full and he really wants to make a difference for all Melanoma “mates”. He truly understands all the issues and emotions that this horrendous condition brings to the “party”.

So far his fund raising efforts have raised a massive £20,000 but as he says “this is only the start of it”. Charity golf days, Music gigs and potentially a Black Tie Gala Dinner to celebrate his achievements when he returns from Africa are all things spinning in his head. A Scary place to be!!!!

Dave will be a tremendous source of inspiration for many people dealing with melanoma - this man is a force to be reckoned with and we are delighted to have him on the team. 

Should anyone wish to contribute to David’s fund raising page then please simply click the following link:- https://gofund.me/51242b12

CLICK AWAY!!