Chris Long, 75, was shopping with his wife in Canterbury, Kent, when a young woman approached him in a car park
A pensioner has thanked a complete stranger for potentially saving his life after she spotted a dangerous mole on his leg in a Canterbury town centre car park. Chris Long, 75, was heading back to his car with his wife, Brenda, 73, when a young woman came over to them.
The woman, who revealed she worked in dermatology, asked Chris whether he had clocked the mole on his calf – he hadn’t. The retired local government worker confessed he was ‘in such shock’ at the time that he didn’t ask for the woman’s name, but followed her advice and visited his GP.
Within a few weeks, medics confirmed the mole was a melanoma, resulting in Chris having surgery to get it removed, according to Devon Live. After the operation, the grandfather-of-five turned to Facebook in a bid to track down the woman, sharing a post on a local residents’ page.
In a remarkable twist, healthcare assistant Limara Roberts, 39, stepped forward as Chris’ lifesaver. Chris, of Herne Bay, said: “I was in such shock at the time that I didn’t even take her name.
“But I knew I owed her a huge thank you as, by spotting it earlier than I did, she may have saved my life. So I posted on Facebook and she commented on the post.
“I sent flowers to her work and we’ve chatted a bit since then. We’ve realised it’s a huge coincidence as I normally wear trousers, not shorts, when I’m shopping in Canterbury – and she never usually parks in that car park.
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“The mole was at the back of my leg where I couldn’t see it – so we can’t always find these things on our own. We need others’ help. I think she was brave to approach a stranger and I hope others have the courage to do the same thing if they’re in a similar situation.
“What’s the worst that could happen? Someone could say, ‘Mind your own business’. It’s better you help someone get diagnosed as soon as possible.”
Limara, 39, who works as a healthcare assistant at a private skin clinic in Canterbury, also reflected on their encounter: “I’m truly grateful that speaking out may have helped save Chris’s life.
“Stories like this are a powerful reminder of how important it is to pay attention to our skin. I hope they help others become more aware and proactive about their health.”
The incident occurred on Friday, May 23, in the underground section of Castle Street Car Park in Canterbury, Kent. Looking back on the event, Chris added: “We were returning to our car and a young woman came up to me and said: ‘I hope you don’t mind me intruding, but have you had that mark on your leg checked out?’
“I was surprised because I had no idea it was even there. It was on my calf – in a place you can’t really see. So I did get it checked out. I contacted my GP and the earliest they could see me was the next Friday.
“When the results came back they confirmed it was a malignant melanoma. From there, they decided to take another chunk of my leg away to see if any more cells are affected and they want to take a biopsy from the nearest lymph node.
“Until we know the outcome of that we don’t know if it’s spread or not. But we’re hopeful that because of the actions of Limara we might have caught it early enough. One of the doctors did say to me he wished I had been seen earlier – but I couldn’t have been as Limara telling me was the earliest I could have known.”
Chris said he wanted to speak out to encourage others to check their skin – and tell others if they notice something wrong. “It’s a good cautionary tale,” he said.