Fighting melanoma: A journey of survival and giving back

For Judith and James Guy, their regular donations to melanoma research are a token of gratitude. 

In April 2001, their son Nick had just joined the army as an infantryman, was engaged to be married and the future was looking bright. He had also found a lump on the back of his head, which continued to grow.

It was diagnosed as an inflamed cyst and Nick was given antibiotics, before eventually deciding to have the lump removed. At just 20 years old, cancer wasn’t at the front of anyone’s mind. But that was about to change. Nick was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma. His chances of survival weren’t promising.

“I remember the desperation, absolute desperation, the shock waves to us were terrible”, says Judith.  Nick was quickly referred to University of Sydney Professor William McCarthy at the Sydney Melanoma Unit. Concerned about the high chance of the lump being a secondary site for the cancer, Professor McCarthy referred Nick for multiple X-rays and PET scans over the coming weeks.

Miraculously, the cancer hadn’t spread. Judith and James were elated. 

“I don't think I'll ever have that feeling again. It was quite amazing”, says Judith.  

But due to the severity of his diagnosis, Nick was still in a precarious situation, with standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments deemed to be insufficient. His medical team recommended a new experimental treatment – immunotherapy, as part of an Australia-first trial. 

As his treatment continued, Nick recalls the hard conversations and very anxious wait over the results of every scan.

“I remember a conversation with my fiancée, Susan, where I told her that maybe we shouldn't get married just yet because 21 years old was too young to be a widow,” he says.  That idea was immediately dismissed!” 

Nick was still receiving treatment when the couple were married on the 1 March 2003.

As Nick’s treatment progressed, the family started feeling flickers of hope. 

“I noticed that in my meetings with Professor McCarthy and Professor Peter Hersey – (who led the immunotherapy treatment) – they were far more positive,” says Nick. “They seemed to really enjoy seeing the progress, which gave us hope.” 

After four hard years, Nick finished his treatment in 2005, much to the elation of Judith and James. Defying the odds, he was deemed fully medically fit by the Army and was deployed to East Timor (Timor Leste) in 2006. He’s since gone on to serve in the police force and father three children. 

“As a father, I have a far greater appreciation for what my parents went through,” he says.  “It's something I could empathise with at the time, but not even begin to fully appreciate.”

The dream for Judith, James and Nick is a world where melanoma is a thing of the past. Their regular donations are both a way of saying ‘thank you’ to the dedicated team of clinicians and researchers who saved Nick’s life, and a commitment to helping make this cancer a thing of the past. 

“Without funding and support, achieving zero melanoma deaths is much further away," says Nick. “Hope is found in every life that is saved and through research and continued advancements in treatment, we can look forward to a future where melanoma is a thing of the past.”

James and Judith echo this sentiment.

“We are in the group of the lucky ones. We are very, very fortunate,” says Judith.  

“Ours is a story of immense gratitude and we will never stop being thankful. Our donation is an acknowledgment of that profound gratitude."

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