Wagga's Kylie Manson urges residents to make most of Australian Skin Cancer Foundation Skin Cancer Truck

Kylie Manson has been encouraging residents to make the most of free skin checks which will be offered in Wagga next week thanks to the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation's Skin Check Truck.

Ms Manson was diagnosed with stage three melanoma in 2001 which progressed to stage four in 2017.

"The message I want to get across to people is to get a skin check, it might just save your life," she said.

Ms Manson's primary diagnosis came during her pregnancy with her daughter when the doctors discovered a mole on her knee.

For sixteen years the melanoma laid dormant in her body.

If not detected early on, melanoma can spread throughout the body into a person's organs.

"I was all good until late 2016 I started feeling really tired and had a few tummy issues," she said.

"My GP sent me for a scan. They accidentally picked up a tumour in the lower part of my right lung. I knew straight away it was melanoma.

"I had surgery to get that removed and that was a pretty rough time. Then within eight weeks I had a recurrence with another tumour so had to have another surgery."

"I'm currently on a Targeted Therapy drug which basically keeps the melanoma cells asleep. I'm doing ok."

Ms Manson said she wants to push people to get checked to prevent them from going through what she has, despite referring to herself as "one of the lucky ones".

"I don't want anyone else going through this," she said.

"It's like hell on earth sometimes."

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By volunteering for the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation, Ms Manson also hopes to help other families.

"I'm so honoured to be the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation volunteer for the Riverina Region. I love this charity and all that they stand for."

"Apart from providing support, education and funding research for melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers, one of their main goals is that no one has to go through Melanoma alone." she said.

"The skin check truck is free and will take about 10 to 15 minutes. We will have a coffee and food van there on the Saturday."

The brainchild behind the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation Skin Cancer Truck is Jay Allen OAM, a former truck driver who was diagnosed with stage three melanoma in 2008 at just 32.

The 13.4-metre-long truck which features 86 photos of faces of those who have sadly passed away to melanoma on either side of the truck is hoping to save lives in the Wagga community.

The risk of being diagnosed with melanoma by age 85 is one in 13 for men and one in 21 for women according to the foundation. However, Melanoma is the number one cancer in Australians aged between 15 and 39.

It is expected that 16,800 Australians will be diagnosed with Melanoma this year, with an estimated 1300 people dying from the disease. That's one person every 6 hours.

The truck will be set up in the car park beside Bolton Park in Wagga on September 8 and 9 from 9am to 3pm both days.

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