Daughter of Crawley hospice resident made dying mum proud

Emma Watson, 29, managed to get a nursing degree and other qualifications while her mum, Jo, was still alive.

Jo Watson, died from skin cancer at the age of just 59, she had always hoped to see her daughter achieve this goal.

She passed away under the care of workers at St Catherine's Hospice in Crawley last year.

Emma said: "When I was young I gave my mum a lot of grief. She used to say I would never get anywhere in my life. I wanted to prove to her I could make something of myself."

Jo lived to see Emma achieve her degree and the other qualifications needed to become a community matron.

Emma said: "She was over the moon. I am glad I made her proud. She was always very supportive of my career."

Emma lost her mum to skin cancer a few months ago and is now hoping to raise awareness about melanoma.

She is supporting Cancer Research UK by running the Race for Life and the money she raises will help fund scientists to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.

Jo worked as an accommodation manager for NHS staff at East Surrey Hospital.

She was first diagnosed with melanoma 18 years ago. She had been concerned about a mole that was bleeding so went to her GP.

The mole was removed and five years later she was given the all-clear.

Emma said: "My mum used to be a sun worshipper. There was not the same awareness back then and she used to put cooking oil on her skin to go out in the sun.

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"She was sun obsessed and used to travel around Europe in a VW camper van and even lived in France for a year."

Early last year, 2020, Jo began to suffer pains and then swelling in her lower abdomen. She was retaining fluid which had to be drained weekly.

A blood test revealed she may have had ovarian cancer but a CT scan a few weeks later showed she had cancer in the lining of her abdomen.

A consultant at East Surrey Hospital told Jo she was dying.

She was referred to the Royal Surrey Hospital in Guildford and, following a biopsy, she was given BRAF therapy. She responded well and tests showed the tumours had shrunk.

Emma said: “She felt and looked much better again and not like someone who was battling cancer."

However, Jo's health started to decline again last December and a scan confirmed the cancer had spread around her abdomen.

Further treatments did not work and the doctors said there was nothing more they could do.

"It was January 20, a day after my birthday, I received an unexpected telephone call from her oncologist informing me that my beautiful, determined mum, had only a few short weeks left of her life.

"I will never forget those words for as long as I am alive. The few short weeks turned into a few short days and mum died under the amazing care of St Catherine's Hospice in Crawley."

Jo was a regular gym-goer, and a vegetarian, she did not smoke or drink and took part in the London marathon twice to raise money for charity.

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Emma said: “Her heart was so strong because she was fit but the cancer couldn’t be stopped.

"Mum had worked throughout the Covid-19 pandemic until her last days. She was a selfless person who strived to ensure NHS staff under her care – many of whom had travelled from abroad to work in our amazing NHS – were looked after.

"She was the definition of a fighter and was determined to battle cancer. I will always be incredibly proud of her. I am sharing her story to raise awareness about melanoma and to encourage more diagnostic testing.

"I believe mole mapping should be offered on the NHS for early detection for future melanoma patients, to save precious lives - a life like my mums. Every day I wake up and think about her. I miss her."

Emma has a young daughter, Frankie who is four and also misses her grandma.

"Frankie waves up to the sky every morning. She also misses her. Mum used to look after Frankie one day a week. They were very close."

Jo split up with Emma’s dad when she was eight. However, the couple remained close and Jo died on his birthday.

The entire family support Cancer Research UK in various ways. Jo supported the charity’s shops, Emma’s dad recently completed a 31 miles in 31 days challenge and Emma is supporting Race for Life.

Every year around 52,100 people are diagnosed with cancer in the South East and one in two people in the UK born after 1960 will get cancer in their lifetime, says the charity.

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life is a series of 3K, 5K, 10K, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer by funding research. 

Race for Life events take place at:

• Horsham on 12 September - 3k and 5k.
• Crawley Bumper Day on 18 September – 3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids.
• Brighton Bumper Day on 19 September – 3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids.
• Worthing on 26 September - 3k and 5k events
• Hastings on 10 October - 3k, 5k and 10k events

The charity spent more than £30 million in the South East last year on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.

Lynn Daly Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson for Surrey, said: “Race for Life offers the perfect opportunity for people to run, walk or jog and raise money for life-saving research."

People can visit raceforlife.org to enter or call 0300 123 0770.

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