Mum Ravaged By Skin Cancer Raises Awareness Of The Disease With Her “Wonky” Smile

The story of a mother named Emma Hatfield-Wilson, who was left with a lopsided smile after her face was ravaged by skin cancer, has helped raise awareness of the disease, The Sun reports.

After beating breast cancer at 34, the 37-year-old primary school teacher was diagnosed with skin cancer when she felt a pea-sized lump in her neck earlier this year.

The mother, who is from London, initally assumed it was a swollen gland but she was referred to the Southampton General Hospital where she was diagnosed with melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer that can spread to other organs in the body.

“I’ve always been a complete fan of the sun. I’d go away twice a year to somewhere hot and would use the sunbeds beforehand. I was so ignorant about skin cancer and feel silly now,” she admitted.

Before the diagnosis, she used sunbeds for about five years when going on holiday to get a base tan, oblivious to the harm they could cause. Then, she would spend the entire holiday on the beach without ever putting on sun screen.

According to The Sun, doctors had to remove seven tumours from the side of her face, neck, and shoulder, which left her with 40 staples and 20 stitches down the left side of her face.

She revealed, “They also removed 33 lymph nodes and neck muscle, because they knew it had spread to two lymph nodes but didn’t know how many more could be cancerous.”

The operation left her with a “wonky smile” and limited movement down that side of her face. She admitted to getting stares from people while out in public. She also said that she is often asked if she has been attacked.

As a result, the mother who lives with her 18-year-old son Jamie, did not go out until her 26-year-old sister, Lucy Lloyd, posted a picture of her smile on Facebook with the hashtag “wonky smile”.

Her sister’s post went viral and many of her friends shared images of their wonky grins to show their support and to boost Wilson’s confidence in her new look. She has taken advantage of the viral post to raise awareness of the disease and speak out to warn other people about the dangers of going without sunscreen.

See a photo she took with her friends posing with a “wonky” smile below …

Photo credit: Torch One Time Usage Images