A JERSEY woman who lost her mother to melanoma five years ago is set to run a metre for every person expected to die from the deadliest form of skin cancer in the UK this year.
Daisy Daly will run a total of 96.6 miles throughout July to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support Jersey and raise awareness about the dangers of melanoma.
The 27-year-old will run 3.119 miles each day to symbolise the 3,119 people in the UK that will lose their lives to melanoma in 2025.
The challenge also marks five years since the death of Miss Daly’s mother, Nicola, who died in 2020 after a six-year battle with the disease.
“My Mum was a true fighter and a passionate supporter of cancer charities, and I’m doing my best to follow in her footsteps,” she said.
“Macmillan Cancer Support Jersey was a place she found comfort – a space where she could talk, be heard, and feel supported by kind and understanding volunteers.”
Miss Daly’s mother was first treated for a cancerous mole in 2008.
Six years later, she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma after discovering a lump under her arm. By then, the melanoma had spread.
“Unfortunately, when melanoma makes it inside the body, it seems like the best course of action is managing the cancer,” explained Miss Daly.
“It’s incredibly hard to completely treat once it is in your body.”
Now, Miss Daly is aiming to raise awareness about just how serious – and preventable – melanoma can be.
“Melanoma is more deadly than people realise,” she said.
“I was so shocked to learn that up to 90% of melanoma cases are preventable and I just thought that surely people need to know more about how dangerous the sun can be.”
Living in Jersey, where strong sun can arrive unexpectedly outside of the summer peak, Miss Daly wants to remind Islanders that the risk isn’t always linked to temperature.
“It doesn’t matter how hot it is, it matters how strong the UV is because UVA and UVB rays can both cause skin cancer.”
The latest Channel Islands Cancer Report revealed that Jersey has a significantly higher incidence of skin cancer than England – with 42% of malignant cancers registered between 2018 and 2020 were non-melanoma skin cancers.
Daily sun protection is one simple and effective way people can help protect themselves, Miss Daly said.
She added: “Everyone gets caught out by the sun, it happens when you least expect it.
“But all it takes is a severe burn in your early years to more than double a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in their life.”
Her campaign exceeded its original £1,000 fundraising target within 12 hours.
At the time of writing, Miss Daly had raised just under £1,800 – only £200 short of her new £2,000 goal.
“I could hear my mum’s voice in my head saying, ‘Well, there’s no backing out now!’ But I’ll be there every step of the way,” she said.
Miss Daly admitted the most difficult part will be committing to show up every day – whatever the conditions – but said that the memory of her mother will keep her strong.
“If my mum could fight through six years of pain, worry, and treatment, I can push through 31 days of running in her honour to raise money for a charity that supported her,” she said.
Miss Daly said the idea for the challenge came after watching former Made in Chelsea star Jamie Laing run five consecutive ultramarathons in five days earlier this year to raise money for Comic Relief.
But her main focus, she said, was creating something meaningful, doable – and open to others.
“I wanted to make this challenge as accessible as I could to everyone and anyone who feels touched by the message I’m trying to share,” she said.
“I’ve already received so much more support than I realised I would, and I’m eternally grateful for everyone’s kind words and offering to run with me and keep me company on this challenge.”
Miss Daly is urging Islanders to support the campaign by donating, spreading the message, or joining her for a run.
Donations can be made via her page on the Sportsgiving website.
