Skin cancer at 13? One teen’s cautionary tale on melanomas

Cancer has always been something that scares me. My mom had skin cancer in her 20s, so my childhood was filled with sunscreen, checkups at the dermatologist and rashguards at the beach. I was always covered in sunscreen, the odor of “unscented” lotion heavy in the air.
Even though I would reap the benefits of wearing sunscreen somewhere in the future, nothing said middle school popularity quite like Coppertone.
My name is Kennedy, and I am a 15-year-old living in Southern California.