Some of you may know me, albeit by reputation only. I am /u/FleetingWish 's S.O.

These are not the circumstances under which I would have liked to step forward and say hello, but after much consideration, and with some misgivings, I think it's time to say something. Many of you have known FleetingWish for some time, and you may even have noted her recent scarcity on this group. There's a reason for that. This Monday, we were hit with some unsettling news.

A routine biopsy of a mole we had removed for cosmetic reasons came back positive for malignant melanoma, one of the most aggressive and lethal forms of skin cancer.

She has been keeping this news to herself thus far, even her family doesn't know, and there are sound reasons for this... we don't know yet if we caught it early, and it's simply a matter of a little treatment and she's out of danger, or if it has spread into a life-threatening illness. We must hang about in limbo waiting for evaluations and tests and results, but there is little point in creating a panic or making a big deal until we know more.

However, I think I am going to overrule her to the extent of going public here. She's quite young, not of an age where this sort of news comes easily, not that it ever does. I remember what it's like to be young... setbacks and upsets can be scary.

They can feel like a punch to the gut, out of nowhere.

They can feel like the ground being pulled from under you.

They can feel like nothing will ever be right again.

By keeping silent, she has cut herself off from the support she needs more than anything, right now. She is the kindest and sweetest of girls, all she ever wanted out of life was to make other people happy, and she doesn't deserve this. Hell, no one deserves this.

I can take charge of her care, I can hold her and let my chest get damp (she doesn't reach to my shoulders), I can be calm and just deal with it so she doesn't have to bottle it up. I can keep track of prescriptions, and educate myself about the disease, and have my secretary play phone tag with doctors' offices, and make tough medical decisions when it comes to that.

But there is one thing I need your help to do... and that is show her how many people love and appreciate her. How many people's lives she has made better. How many people would really want to help, if only they knew. How many people want her to pull through.

So I'm asking you to help her remember how valued she is.

We don't need money... we're both working professionals in high-salary fields, and she has really good insurance. If you feel the need to give, please consider a donation to the Melanoma Research Alliance.

We don't need medical advice or referrals or recommendations. We already have one of the nations' two top melanoma teams on the case.

What she needs a little encouragement and support to help her cope,

Thank you.

And please, if you ever have a mole that appears, or grows, or changes shape or colour, see a physician and have it checked. Don't tell yourself it's probably nothing, don't worry about being a hypochondriac, check it and be sure.

You are not just wasting the physicians' time. You are not stealing time from people who are "really sick". If more people saw their physician earlier, there would be a lot less "really sick" people. DO IT.