Queensland Cancer Council nominates Emma Betts for Pride of Australia Young Leader Medal

AFTER being told you have just three months to live, it would be expected you take time out for yourself. Not this woman.

ASKED what he loves most about his new wife, Serge Simic doesn’t hesitate – it’s her selflessness and overwhelming determination to help others.

“When I met Emma for the first, she was doing a lot of amazing volunteer work overseas and that’s what I feel in love with,’’ Mr Simic, 24, said.

“I remember one day when we heard the news about her diagnosis, Emma asked what she would do and how she would keep busy.

“Well she has found her vocation, this is her way of contributing and helping out.’’

Emma Betts, 23, is fighting advanced stage four melanoma and has been nominated for a Pride of Australia Young Leader Medal by the Cancer Council Queensland for the work she is doing to raise awareness of skin cancer and the importance of skin checks.

This week she celebrated her 23rd birthday with family and friends and a fancy dinner with her husband.

The couple married in March after being told by doctors in January that Emma had only three months to live.

Ms Betts said thanks to a trial drug, MK-3475, that was having positive results, her tumours were shrinking, but said her prognosis remained unknown.

“All my tumours are shrinking. None have disappeared, but they have started to break down which is fantastic,’’ she said.

“I still am very realistic in that melanoma at some point will kill me, but this drug gives me hope that maybe in a year I will still be here, which is pretty good compared to the three months I was given at the start of year.’’

Mr Simic said he was just enjoying spending time with his wife, and was grateful for the improvements in melanoma treatment.

“We are very lucky we can still laugh and joke around,’’ he said.

Ms Betts said so far she had raised $35,000, had started a blog called Dear Melanoma to document her experiences and help others and was now starting to plan a new campaign about skin checks.

“People who have read the blog have contacted me to say my story made them go and get skin checks, and that’s great to hear,’’ she said.

Cancer Council Queensland spokeswoman Katie Clift said the blog and fundraising were “truly inspiring.

Read Emma’s Dear Melanoma blog