Man who suffered sunburn on Magaluf holiday gets devastating diagnosis on return

30 December 2023 , 22:57

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Man who suffered sunburn on Magaluf holiday gets devastating diagnosis on return

A dad who was sunburnt on a trip to Magaluf with his mates was later diagnosed with a serious form of skin cancer - before receiving an even more devastating diagnosis four years later.

Doctors told Calum Wyatt, 34, they had successfully removed the melanoma after he was treated following tests on a mole on his shoulder in 2017. But despite Calum later being declared cancer free, in November 2021 he had a seizure at his home in Kirkby, Merseyside and was soon diagnosed with a brain tumour, which occurred after the melanoma spread to his brain, liver, lungs, spleen and bones.

Calum, who lives with his wife Claire, 33, and son Myles, three, is facing immunotherapy treatment. The method is an effective but lesser known form of cancer treatment which harnesses the body’s own immune system to tackle cancer cells.

He said: "I was OK when the doctors initially called me to tell me the cancer had spread, but then the news started to sink in. I’ve never used sunbeds and the only time I’ve really got sunburnt was on a lads' holiday to Magaluf in my 20s.”

He added: "Whilst we don’t know if that was the cause of my initial melanoma, I would never have thought I’d be going through all this. It felt different to my first cancer diagnosis when I got melanoma; Claire and I didn’t have Myles then. So being a dad to a young son, and being diagnosed with a brain tumour was incredibly hard for all of us.”

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Myles, Claire and Calum are hoping for a speedy recovery (Family handout)

The brave dad is responding well to the treatment and recent scans showed no trace of cancer in his body, reports the Liverpool Echo. He is still receiving treatment every four weeks but is hopeful he will be able to finish in the New Year and start looking forward to the future with his family.

He said: “Claire, Myles and I are now starting to look to the future, planning a big family holiday and preparing Myles to start school next year. We’ve got everything crossed that I can finish my treatment very soon and really start getting my life back.”

Charlotte Hadfield