I’dgoineverydayonmywayhomefro
schooland,evenif I burntandmyskin
redraw,I’dkeepongoingback.Mypa
toldmetostop,butI’dhideit fromthe
I’dgostraightupstairswhenI gothom
schoolandif mydadeveraskedwhyI
redI’dtellhimI’dbeenoutrunning.
I camebackfromhospitalaftergivingb
tomydaughterandthefirstthingI didwas
gotothesunbedsalon.I hadn’tbeenonall
throughmypregnancyandI desperatetoget
backandfeelthewarmthonmyskin– that’s
howaddictedI was.”
Havingbeengiventheallclearfromcancer
afterhavingpartofherlegremovedin
2013,Jennihassincehadsixmolesremoved
andstillhasregularcheck-upswitha
dermatologistfor‘peaceofmind’.
Ironically,shecreditshavinga spraytanwith
savingherlifeaftera beauticianspottedan
unusual-lookingmoleonherrightlegduring
a homespraytanningsessionin 2013 and
toldhertogetit checkedout.
Eventhisdidn’tdeterJennifromhersunbed
addiction,butshedideventuallydecideto
seea dermatologist,whorevealedshehad
potentiallydeadlyskincancer.
Inordertosaveherlife,Jenniwasforcedto
havea ‘chunk’takenoutofherleg,which
haslefthertooself-conscioustowear
dresses.
“Thebeauticianspottedthemoleand
mentionedshe’dnoticedit had changedshapeovertheweeksshe’dbeentanningme,”
saysJenni.“ButeventhoughI knewit was
there,I didn’tdoanythingaboutit andcarried
ongoingonthesunbeds.I’devenjokeabout
it – I remembersayingtothewomaninthe
sunbedcentre,‘I’vecometotanmymole.’
It wasonlyafterLauren,mytanner,really
startedtonagmethatI finallywenttosee
someone,soif it hadn’tbeenforherI would
havecarriedonignoringit.
Thedermatologisttoldmestraightawaythat
it wasreallyseriousandthatI’dneedtohave
sometests.
WhenI gottheresultsback,it wasa
melanomastageone,whichmeantit wasin
theearlystages.
I endeduphavingfouroperationsintwoand
a halfyears– threeonmylegandonefor
anothermoleonmystomach.”
Afterhertraumaticexperience,thesingle
momoftwois urgingfellowtannersaway
fromsunbeds.
“I didn’thaveanyoneclosetomewho’dbeen
throughsomethinglikethatbeforesoI had
nowarning– I dreadtothinkwhatmighthave
happened,”shesays.“I thinkintheback
ofmymindI knewit wasbadformebutI
lovedit somuchI justdidn’twanttogive
it up.
Justhearingthatword‘cancer’makes
mefeelnumb,andit’sstillhardtotake
knowingthatI probablycausedit myself.
I don’tweardressesanymore,andI haven’t
putona bikinisincemystomachoperation.
Girlstakesucha prideintheirappearance,
butif theyseethesepictures,hopefully
they will realise the damage they’re doing.”CEMAGAZINEFEATURESONCE BURNT,
ENNIBRADY, 28,hadbeenhookedon
sunbedssinceherteens– firstusing
thedangeroustanningdevicesatthe
ageof 12 – andwouldtopuphertan
everydayattheheightofherobsession.
Themom-of-twowassodesperatetogetherfix
aftermissingoutduringherpregnancyshewent
straighttoa tanningsalonaftergivingbirthto
daughterStella.
Butaftera skincancerdiagnosisin 2013 and
sixoperations,baristaJenniis soparanoidthe
cancerwillcomebackshehastakenphotos
ofeverymoleonherbodyandrefusestolet
daughterStella,nownine,weara bikinion
holiday.
Jenni,whois hopingthemachineswillbebanned
beforeherdaughteris oldenoughtofollowin
herfootsteps,says,“Asa mom,it washorrific
tobetoldI havecancer.I’llneverforgettheday
whentheytoldmeandthefirstthingI asked
themwas,‘AmI goingtodie?’andtheycouldn’t
tellme.
I’llneverforgetgoingtotellmyfamilythatI
didn’tknowif I wasgoingtodie.I hadtwoyoung
children.
Stellais verypale,soI’mveryconsciousabout
thatbecausesheburns,evenintheUK.
I wouldn’tbehappyif shewantedtogoona
sunbed;I’dprobablybanherfromdoingthat.I
wouldliketothinkthey’llbebannedbythetime
she’sthatage.
I worryaboutStellaallthetime.Onsportsday
andwhenwegoonholidaysheis coveredhead
totoe.Shecan’tweara bikini––shewearsa
t-shirt.”
Jenni,whogrewupinLiverpool,firstgota taste
fortanningsalonsasa 12-year-oldschoolgirl,but
herhobbybecameanaddictionbythetimeshe
turned16.
“TheoldergirlshadtansandI wasdesperateto
bejustlikethem,”shesays.“I rememberbeing
worriedthefirsttimeI wentandI thoughtthey
mightstop us, but no one ever asked how old we
were.Twice Shy
AA SUNBED addict
diagnosed with
skin cancer now
refuses to let her
daughter wear a
bikini on holiday.
50
REAL IFE
JenniBrady,
28,withher
daughterStella,
nine,andson
Joe, 11
JenniBrady’slegafter
shehadtohavea part
of it removed in 2013