'I was checking to make sure my husband was safe, but I found a deadly lump'
Stuart now needs to raise thousands of pounds for radical therapy in Israel
A woman doing a last-minute safety check before her husband set off on a zipline spotted something concerning - a significant lump on his neck. Lauren Smith and husband Stuart were on holiday in Cornwall and about to zip over the Eden Project.
Lauren, 30, said: "I saw a lump on the side of Stu's neck. It looked harmless at the time. We agreed he'd get it checked out when we got home."
Stuart, now 40, was healthy, active, and travelling internationally for work as an accountant. Neither of them expected that one small lump would lead to her now making an appeal to save his life. The lump on his neck has progressed to Stage 4 with tumours in his brain, liver, lungs, thigh, and lymph nodes.
Weeks after that holiday in Cornwall in August 2019, Stu was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma — a type of skin cancer that in his case had no clear origin, known as 'melanoma with an unknown primary.'
This rare diagnosis occurs in just a small percentage of melanoma patients. He underwent a major neck dissection to remove 28 lymph nodes and part of a neck muscle after the cancer was found to have started spreading.
A genetic mutation, BRAF, was detected, which allowed him to begin targeted drug therapy, Dabrafenib and Trametinib - a daily treatment aimed at keeping the cancer at bay. The scans came back clear. Stu returned to work and the couple adopted a Jack Russell named Nala.
But in March 2023, a routine PET scan revealed that the melanoma had returned, this time in Stu's liver and thigh. His condition was upgraded to Stage 4. He began immunotherapy treatment with a combination of Ipilimumab and Nivolumab - powerful drugs designed to help the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells.
But just two cycles in, Stu suffered severe complications and was admitted to hospital with Grade 3 immune-related hepatitis. His liver began to fail, and he spent a month in hospital. "Every time we got our hopes up, we were knocked down again," said Lauren. "But Stu never gave up. He always faced it with strength."
In August 2023, the couple got engaged on their 10-year anniversary. They decided to cancel their long-term wedding plans and were married in a quiet ceremony on December 30, 2024, surrounded by close family and friends.
"It was one of the happiest days of our lives and one of the hardest," Lauren said. "We didn't know what lay ahead, but we knew we didn't want to wait."
Early in 2024, targeted therapy showed some promising results, with signs of tumour shrinkage. However, by May, the cancer had built resistance and began to spread again, this time to Stu's lungs, lymph nodes, and eventually his brain. In December 2024, he began chemotherapy three consecutive days every three weeks.
Stu experienced hair loss, fatigue, and confusion. He continued to work when possible and pushed through each cycle with resilience. Then, in March 2025, the couple faced another major blow. On the evening of 11 March, Lauren returned home from work to find Stu confused and unable to speak.
He was rushed to hospital where a scan revealed a large tumour and a bleed on the brain. "It was terrifying," Lauren said. "For a while, he couldn't talk, and I could see how scared he was. But even then, he never stopped fighting."
The swelling was brought under control with steroids, but Stu was left with aphasia, a condition that impaired his ability to speak. For days, he could understand what was being said to him, but couldn't respond. After a week in hospital, he returned home. Then came a breakthrough.
His first words were: "Ready to fight." Soon after, Stu underwent a craniotomy. The NHS team successfully removed the brain tumour and blood clot. His speech slowly returned, and he began recovering at home.
But the cancer was still growing. And there were no treatment options left in the UK that could offer a meaningful chance of long-term survival. The only remaining hope lies in accessing a cutting-edge therapy available in Israel called TIL therapy (Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocyte therapy).
This treatment involves removing tumour tissue, isolating immune cells from it, growing them in a lab, and reintroducing them into the body to attack the cancer. "This is the last option we have," Lauren said.
"It's not just about extending life, it's about giving him a real chance." The treatment, hospital stay, and associated travel costs are expected to total £165,000. So far, supporters have raised just over £70,000. "We're overwhelmed by the support so far," Lauren said.
"Every donation, every message, every share — it means the world to us."
Anyone who wants to help can visit their GoFundMe page via https://gofund.me/65bb289a.
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