Festival in Tom’s name to fulfil his dying wish
FAMILY AIMING TO RAISE MELANOMA AWARENESS
A MUM who tragically lost her 20-year-old son to skin cancer has opened up on how she is fulfilling his dying wish as she pays tribute to him ahead of the two-year anniversary of his death.
Tom Linton from Chester-lestreet was diagnosed with melanoma in January 2020 when he was 19 and passed away months later in May, just after his 20th birthday, leaving his family and friends devastated.
Despite everything he had been through, the selfless son asked his family to grant his final wish. He asked them to promise him they would raise awareness of melanoma so that no other person would have to go through what he went through.
And so his mum Amanda, along with his dad Steven and twin sister Hannah, have been working with the charity Melanomame and its founder Kerry Rafferty to try and encourage people to get checked out if they feel like something isn’t right. Doctors believed the cancer came from a mole that Tom had tattooed over, thinking it was nothing to worry about.
His family along with Kerry is organising Tom’s Fest to pay tribute to his life and raise awareness of melanoma. But it seems like Tom’s story is already making a difference after Amanda discovered someone had got a melanoma diagnosis after reading about Tom.
Amanda said: “Someone got in touch who had read Tom’s story and he went to his GP and he was referred. Unfortunately, it was melanoma. I feel quite emotional about it because I know this is a person we have helped by sharing Tom’s story. I said at the start if I could help one person then I would have done something for Tom.
“His last wish was to help others, he said: ‘Mam, I don’t want anybody to go through what I have gone through.’ I think we’re getting the word out there and that is what we want to do in Tom’s name.
“After everything we have gone through, it makes it worth it to know we’ve helped people because I was weighing up whether or not to do interviews but I’m so pleased I did.”
She added: “When I go around the roundabout and see signs for Tom’s Fest I realise how close it is and I’m both excited and nervous but Tom loved music and he would have loved this.”
“Tom was quite a low-profile person but I think this is what he would have wanted us to do for his legacy.”
But although Amanda is thrilled to be helping others, she admitted things are “tough” at the moment with Tom and his twin sister Hannah’s birthdays being yesterday and the two-year anniversary of his death after that.
Amanda said: “The hardest part is on May 10 it’s Tom and Hannah’s birthdays. We all struggle but Hannah really struggles and I can’t imagine what it’s like to have all these years sharing birthdays with
Tom and now he’s not here and then we have the anniversary of his death. I think it’s a big thing we have to get over. They say time is a healer but I don’t know if it ever gets easier. Things are really tough at the moment but we’re just glad we can keep Tom’s legacy going.”
Kerry Rafferty founded the charity Melanomame after being diagnosed
with melanoma herself and now provides counselling to those affected by the disease along with a small team. She is now helping Tom’s family organise Tom’s Fest in his memory.
She said: “With Tom, he didn’t know anything about melanoma and I think that’s the same with a lot of people. I don’t think he ever thought it would go down the cancer route.
“I think most people know to check their breasts or testicles but not many people seem to know what to look out for with melanoma. Like any other cancer, catching it early gives you the best chance so by sharing Tom’s story we hope it just makes people think and go to their GP. I’m really excited and quite nervous for Tom’s Fest. I really just want to make sure everything goes well for Tom’s family and make sure that it’s exactly what Tom would have wanted.”
Tom’s Fest will be held on May 28 at Park View School, in Chester-lestreet, where Tom had been a pupil, and will feature bands, tribute acts, and food stalls. Tickets cost £25 and are available at https://melanomame.org.uk/toms-fest