When you grow up in Australia, you're taught from a young age about the importance of being smart in the sun.
We're not talking about hitting advanced algebra on the beach, we're talking about wearing sunscreen and making sure your skin doesn't get damaged by the glowing, hot orb in the sky.
If you're not smart then you could develop skin cancer and die. It's that simple.
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A Perth man has shared his story about how close he came to meeting his maker after developing melanoma.
Ryan Glossop wasn diagnosed with skin cancer in November last year after he and his mate noticed a peculiar looking freckle on the back of his neck.
He underwent around 40 biopsies to see whether the melanoma had spread to any other part of his body, including his neck, back and lungs.
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His wife Fallon wrote on Facebook: "What started out so small, turned into something that none of us were ready for.
"The thing is, with any skin cancer, not only do they remove the affected area of skin, but they also take a boundary around it.
"Ryan's boundaries kept coming back abnormal, which was then found to be a skin condition called Nevus Spillus. It's very rare for it to transition into melanoma, but in his case it did.
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"In May 2019 a large area of skin from his neck and back needed to be taken. So in his fourth surgery, Ryan had a skin graft, removing skin from both legs to cover section on his neck and back."
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The health and safety adviser now has a massive surgical scar on the back of his neck. He says doctors can make it look a bit more aesthetically pleasing, but he'll always have some sort of scar there.
Ryan says there is a misconception amongst Australians that it's a simple procedure to get melanomas taken out if doctors find it.
The 37-year-old is using his experience to warn others that things can quickly go downhill.
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Speaking to LADbible, Ryan said: "I'm in the clear with ongoing PET scans to monitor lymph nodes in my lung (believed to be all good) and quarterly skin checks.
"I'm still working on mobility of my neck as the scar tissue tightens. Mentally I remind myself that others have been through much worse and are fighting harder battles.
"Overall, my wife and I wanted to share my story to raise awareness and hopefully motivate others to be sun smart and seek out the right professionals for a skin check. By doing that we may just save others."
Featured Image Credit: Ryan Glossop/FacebookTopics: Interesting, Community, Australia