Woman with cancer told she had 'fat lumps' under skin

At 26, Gemma Malins was engaged to the "love of her life" and training to be an early childhood teacher.

And those lumps on her feet and legs? They were just fat lumps, she'd been told.

Even when the lumps started appearing "all over" her body, the Auckland woman said her doctor told her not to worry.

It wasn't until she went to a new GP after moving to Beachlands, in Auckland's outer suburbs, that she was told something might be wrong. By that point, one of the lumps on her leg had grown to 12 centimetres.

But it wasn't fat cells growing under her skin – it was skin cancer.

Almost a year after she first went to the doctor, and after a three-month wait to see a specialist, she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma at the age of 27.

"It was a huge shock," she said. Cancer had never crossed her mind – especially not such an aggressive form. A scan showed it had spread throughout her body, including to her brain and lungs.

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She said she felt let down and angry that her doctors had missed the chance to catch it early.

"It changed our whole lives dramatically," her now-husband Brandon said.

The pair wed in December 2019, planning the small service in two weeks so they could celebrate with family before Gemma started treatment.

They got married on the beach at Duder Regional Park. "It was rushed, but it was an absolutely beautiful day," Brandon said.

In February, they were able to have a larger celebration with friends in the same spot.

The wedding was a high point in what has otherwise been a dark few months. Twice every three weeks, Gemma has to go to hospital for treatment, an immunotherapy called Keytruda that's delivered intravenously.

Gemma has a severe fear of needles, but the treatment is tough to start with – and it was even harder during lockdown, when Gemma couldn't have Brandon at her side. The side effects aren't as bad as what you'd expect with chemotherapy, but Gemma feels dizzy most of the time.

She has had to put her teacher training on hold and 20-year-old Brandon has given up his job in beekeeping to care for her.

Gemma calls him her "hero": "He's there for every treatment, every needle, every side effect, every good and bad day."

Having her mum – "the strongest person I know" – has also been a huge support, she said. "She has always been there for me for whatever I've needed her."

Recent scans are showing mixed results from the treatment: while some tumours have shrunk, others have grown, including one in Gemma's ovary.

The couple remain optimistic, though. "We have a strong faith and that's been extremely helpful," Brandon said.

They've decided to concentrate on making as many memories as possible, setting up a Givealittle page to raise funds so Gemma can tick off her bucket list around treatment.

Top of the list is horse riding, and they're also hoping to make a family trip to Queenstown so she can see the snow.

Republished with permission from Stuff.co.nz.