- Jennifer Nicholson is urging parents to safeguard their children in the sun
- The 50-year-old lost her daughter Freja, 18, to skin cancer last November
- Mother, from Leeds, Yorkshire, said British summers were responsible
- Jennifer said she was ‘foolish’ for not protecting children in English sun
Gaby Bissett For Mailonline
37
View
comments
Jennifer Nicholson is urging parents to cover their kids in suncream after her daughter Freja (pictured), 18, died of skin cancer last November
A devastated mother has spoken of her heartbreak after her 18-year-old daughter died of skin cancer caused by childhood holidays in the sun.
Jennifer Nicholson, 50, is urging parents to shield their children in hot weather after her teenage daughter, Freja, died of skin cancer last November.
The mother blames herself for not religiously smothering her daughter’s fair skin in suncream during the hot British summers of her childhood.
Doctors said if she had, Freja might still be alive.
Ms Nicholson, from Leeds, Yorkshire, has made a desperate plea to parents to keep their little ones safe.
‘There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t wish I could go back and just take five minutes to put suncream on her delicate young skin when I mistakenly thought there was no danger,’ she said.
She added that it is easy to think that British sunshine is harmless but warned families not to follow her footsteps – adding ‘you would never ever forgive yourself’.
The mother’s plea comes as Cancer Research UK said skin cancer is the third most common form of the disease in people aged 15-39.
Mother-of-two, 30, glassed a woman in the face at a snooker…
Woman has her ovaries removed after learning rare cancer…
Speaking to the Mirror, Ms Nicholson covered Freja and her sister Lily, 16, head to toe in suncream when the family jetted off to exotic destinations such as Turkey and Thailand.
But it was the summer days in England when Ms Nicholson said she ‘wasn’t quite so diligent’, adding that she was ‘foolish’ to think British sun is harmless.
Four years before Freja died, Ms Nicholson had spotted a mole on the young girl’s back.
Jennifer (left, with daughter Freja) said she was ‘foolish’ to underestimate the dangers of British summers
Freja amazingly achieved two As and a B in her A-levels while undergoing treatment for her skin cancer
But as she grew, the mole did too. In 2012, they noticed it had gone lumpy and black. However their panic was quashed when a biopsy revealed their was no cause for concern.
But when Freja began to get pounding headaches two years later, she discovered a 5cm lump under her arm.
Ms Nicholson said she then remembered the mole on her back. ‘I asked if they were related and doctors gently told me I should in no way have let our guard down.
‘During these last few years cancer had rampaged through Freja while we carried on, blissfully unaware.’
After having a mole removed, Freja’s life continued as normal – but two years later, she was diagnosed with skin cancer
Doctors told a devastated Ms Nicholson that she should not have ‘let her guard down’ after discovering a mole on the back of her daughter (pictured)
A 2.5cm brain tumour was detected when she was on the Teenage Cancer Trust ward at St James’s Hospital, Leeds.
Although it was removed, the cancer came back. During this time, Freja had amazingly managed two As and a B in her A-levels.
She also threw a garden party and raised more than £20,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust, with family and friends donating on her JustGiving page.
Ms Nicholson said the youngster died at her home in November surrounded by family and friends.
She urges parents to do ‘everything they can’ to protect their kids to stop them experiencing the same devastation.
Remembered: Freja, 18, died at her home in Leeds last November surrounded by her family and friends
Share or comment on this article
See Kanye in bed with Kim K Taylor Swift in racy new video
Bully gets knocked out and humiliated by smaller kid
First video showing damage of rollercoaster crash in…
Police say three dead after family dispute lead to shooting
‘Stop, stop!’: US cop shouts before firing at suspect in car
Video captures Singapore Airlines Jet burst into flames
Unlikely friends: Tiger and German Shepard play together
GRAPHIC Brooklyn woman fights attacker who tried to rape her
Baby gorilla takes a tumble after attempting first chest…
Woman swims near giant crocodile with only a thin plastic…
Passenger films from runway after plane caught fire in…
ISIS kills Syrian reporters by hiding bombs in cameras and…
EU leaders REFUSE to start informal talks with Britain and…
What are military UN trucks doing in Virginia? Bemused…
Why did a mother gun down her daughters in horrific Texas…
Has Britain avoided a ‘European superstate’? France and…
EXCLUSIVE: Daughter gunned down by mom in Texas was due to…
Carnage at Scottish fairground as ‘Tsunami’ rollercoaster…
The hills are alive with the sound of vomit: Wedding…
‘Don’t do this. They’re our kids!’ Texas father watched in…
The Brexit blockers: Bitter losers from all parties gang up…
Can you believe she is FIFTY? Fitness fanatic amazes…
The slave who taught Jack Daniels how to make whiskey:…
Red Cross apologizes for ‘super racist’ pool safety poster…
Comments (37)
Share what you think
-
Newest -
Oldest -
Best rated -
Worst rated
The comments below have been moderated in advance.
The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.
Find out now