A sun-loving young woman, who was diagnosed with skin cancer aged just 20, admits she was “naive” about the severity of the Australian sun.
Teisha Ward, from Melbourne, loved soaking up the sun by tanning at the beach or by the pool, but she was unaware of the irreversible damage it was causing.
Speaking to FEMAIL, the executive assistant, now 25, said she was far too “jaded” after being diagnosed with stage three melanoma and was sure doctors could simply “stop” it.
“My older sister Georgia noticed that I had a small dark freckle on my back that was sticking out of the skin. It itched and bled when scratched and she encouraged me to get it checked,” Teisha said.
Her life-changing diagnosis came four years after Teisha broke her back in a horrific motorcycle accident where she had to learn to walk again.
Teisha Ward, from Melbourne, was diagnosed with skin cancer at age 20.
Recalling the day she saw her GP about the freckle, Teisha said: “I went to the doctor pretty blasé about the whole situation. As soon as they looked at it, they said, “Yeah, we’re 99% sure it’s melanoma.”
“But even after hearing those words, I didn’t realize how serious it was.”
After the meeting, she got back in the car with her father and sister and told them the news.
Her father immediately became very concerned and stopped the car, turned around and went back to the clinic with Teisha to find out more.
He asked doctors for more details and was informed that the freckle needed to be removed immediately.
The sinister spot was cut out two days later and a biopsy of the cells was taken, then Teisha was referred to an oncologist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. That’s when it hit her.
The freckle is visible on his shoulder blade. It was small but protruded from the skin and bled when she scratched it.
Her older sister Georgia (right) noticed a small freckle on her back that had grown up, was itchy and bled when scratched. Georgia urged Teisha to go to the doctor
“It’s been a long journey for my health, so Dad was worried about me. We basically lived at the Royal Price Alfred, so going back there brought back bad memories,” she said.
The biopsy results showed that the cancer had already moved under the skin, so Teisha had to have surgery to remove more of the surrounding area.
“When I got the diagnosis, it was shocking, but it hurt even more for my parents. It was so hard to see what it was doing to them emotionally and mentally,” Teisha said.
“Given that I was in a motorcycle accident four years ago, I couldn’t believe we were going to have to spend more time in the hospital because of cancer.”
Doctors also had to perform a “lymph node test” which involved inserting a dye into Teisha’s body to highlight other cancer cells.
The cancer had spread to the lymph nodes under his arms and 11 lymph nodes were removed in total.
“It was probably the hardest operation I had because I couldn’t put my arms down and I sat with my arms up for a week,” she explained.
The biopsy results showed that the cancer had already moved under the skin, so Teisha had to have surgery to remove more of the surrounding area. The cancer had spread to the lymph nodes under his arms and 11 of them were removed from his armpits.
During treatment, she lost some of her hair, felt extremely weak, had no appetite, and her skin was very dry. At the time, she was working in real estate but couldn’t continue and began dating her boyfriend, AFL player Dylan Clarke.
Shortly after the operation, Teisha started oral chemotherapy and doctors were convinced it would help fight the cancer.
During treatment, she lost some of her hair, felt extremely weak, had no appetite, and her skin was very dry. At the time, she was working in real estate but couldn’t continue and began dating her boyfriend Dylan Clarke.
Her chemotherapy continued for 18 months and was successful. Teisha now has regular check-ups to make sure the cancer has not returned.
The hardest part of the whole ordeal was not the cancer itself, but watching loved ones suffer in support.
“My partner Dylan has been my rock the whole time and helped me through everything,” she said.
“Even today, my family struggles to worry about the unknown and whether he will come back. It’s a waiting game for now.
Chemotherapy continued for 18 months and was successful. Teisha now has regular check-ups to make sure the cancer has not returned.
“I feel like it’s definitely made me a better person, stronger and more empathetic. It just shows you have no idea what people are going through,” she said.
“If you looked at me when I was sick, you wouldn’t necessarily think I had cancer, but I did.”
Teisha said she was also given a “whole outlook on life” and now wears sunscreen daily.
She also blamed the school system for the lack of education in Australia about sun safety and the consequences that can result.
The experience inspired Teisha and Georgia to launch self-tanning brand GT Skin in 2021 to encourage other Australians to be aware of the deadly sun.
“Don’t tan in the sun, it’s not worth it,” Teisha warned.
“When I was a kid, it was cool and attractive to be tan. I think there is also a big lack of education about sun safety, which is why we launched GT Skin.
Currently, the brand offers tanning products for the face, body and hats, but plans to expand into sun protection products.