Keri went on to work as a cruise ship port lecturer.
And it was while she was at sea that she noticed a scab developing on her skin.
She explained: “I noticed a scab on the forehead that wouldn’t heal.
“With the brush of my T-shirt or when I washed my face the scab always would open up, and that’s when I knew something was wrong.”
In 2016, doctors broke the devastating news that Keri had developed skin cancer.
She said: “I work on cruise ships so I had to wait until I was home to see my family’s skin doctor – he determined it was a basil cell carcinoma and it needed to be removed.
“The doctor never said it was directly because of the sun beds, but a mix of sun overexposure and the beds is what caused it.”
Following her diagnosis, Keri was put through Mohs surgery.
This operation involves moving layers of skin that contain cancerous tissue.
But while the surgery went well, it didn’t eliminate the cancer like doctors had hoped.
Keri remembered: “I was upset when they had to perform the first MOHS surgery.
“I remember growing up my mother always talked to me about skincare and how skin cancer runs in the family but I would just brush it off and tell her I have more of my father’s skin type.
“The wound healed up nicely after the surgery and for two years I thought I was in the clear until I saw the scab reappear in the same place on my forehead.
“It began to open again with a slight brush of anything – I knew it wasn’t good.”
After two operations, doctors delivered the news that Keri needed Mohs surgery again.
Worryingly, a tumour had grown in the patient’s head that was the size of a golf ball.
She said: “At that time I was extremely scared as I thought the whole piece was removed and now it was back.
“”This time during the MOHS procedure, the doctor had to go back in five times to remove layers of skin.
“The tiny skin cancer had doubled in size and turned into a tumour the size of a golf ball.
“At this point he looked at me and said I have to be sent to a plastic surgeon.”
Thankfully, Keri says her plastic surgeon was able to “make miracles happen”.
They closed the golf ball sized tumour on the patient’s forehead by pulling the skin from her eyebrow to connect with that on her hairline.
Following the op, the cruise ship worker is now doing everything she can to protect herself from the sun.
She also hopes that sharing her story will remind others to protect themselves from harmful rays.
Keri added: “I now never leave the house without sunscreen and a cute hat!
“While the sun is something keeping everyone on earth alive, it affects each and everyone of us when we are overexposed.
“Everyone these days are trying to look the best they can look and sun tan if often associated with that!
“If we are eating healthy and keeping our bodies healthy – we need to make sure we keep our skin healthy too.”
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