Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with stage III melanoma.

I didn’t spend a lot of time in the sun before my malignant melanoma diagnosis. And I wasn’t someone you’d consider at high risk for melanoma. I was only 9 years old.

I was actually born with a small pen- point-sized mole on my right cheek. Over time, it grew, and when I was 8 years old, it became raised and had irregular borders.  When I told my pediatrician...