Cancer is an evil, sneaky little thing, wrecking havoc on its victims and their families. It's scary to push through. So many people are affected by this terrible disease, and there is absolutely nothing we can do to get rid of it completely.

I wish we could cure it. I wish there was something more we could do.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of 2015, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. That's approximately 591,699 people killed in one year. It's almost catching up to heart disease, now in the lead for the #1 cause of death.

All cancers are bad. We know it. But there are worse ones than others. There are cancers that have an overall sky high survival rate, and there are cancers that have a low, plummeting survival rate. It can depend on the stages of certain diseases. It's unfortunate to say this, but sometimes it can depend on the patient, and how their body handles and reacts to the cancer.

It's hard to watch it set in, especially to someone you love.

I never thought that cancer would ever be a thing in my family. I didn't think that it would actually sneak up to us. Why us? Why, of all cancers, melanoma? Why one of the most fatal cancers? Why? It showed up uninvited, and it didn't take no for an answer.

Most people aren't aware of what melanoma is. They hear a lot about the most common types of cancer, such as breast and lung; but they don't know too much about skin cancer, and the tricks that hide up its sleeve. Melanoma is dangerous; anyone has the opportunity to get it.

And no, it isn't just skin cancer. Melanoma is a true villain.

About 9,730 people are expected to die of melanoma in 2017, according to the American Cancer Society. That is an estimated 1.6% from all of the people who die from cancer per year (591,699). You might think that 1.6% is close enough to zero, and it's not high enough to actually matter. You couldn't be more wrong.

Melanoma kills someone every 50 minutes.

I had no knowledge of melanoma until my mother was diagnosed. Throughout her battle, I learned more and more about how mean it can be, and how I had to be very careful from then on. It killed her.

The sun can be almost devilish. It treated my mother very unfairly.

Young teenagers are going outside without any kind of SPF protection. Some of them are even crisping in those silly tanning beds, because apparently it makes them look good. Boy, am I jealous! Not. I wish I could warn them, but it's a personal choice. Nothing I say could change their minds or open their eyes. Maybe, after reading this, it'll make a difference.

Melanoma has four stages. Stage I is the phase where most people "catch it early". It's still on the outside of the body in a mole or freckle. They notice changes and immediately take action. Stage II and Stage III are obviously worse, but Stage IV is the most dangerous of all. During this stage, the melanoma spreads to other places both inside and outside the body. What's even more cringing is the survival rates by stage. Stage I can reach up to 98%, but Stage IV only stretches to 10-15%(American Cancer Society).

Melanoma is caused by overexposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun and from tanning beds without any protection, and gene changes. I don't think anybody realizes how hazardous these UV rays are. Once you get a sunburn, you're at risk. When your skin gets tan, it's not supposed to be "cool"; it means that your skin is damaged, and your skin cells will most likely not grow back correctly. This can lead to gene changes. Our DNA hates change. It needs to function properly; otherwise, the cells have better chances at becoming cancer cells.

These changes can contribute to many risk factors, such as age, sex, family history, UV rays, moles, fair skin, freckles, and more. There are risk factors that are changeable, like the obvious UV rays. But there are ones that cannot be changed, like age and sex.

Age is one risk factor that people should think and rethink about. 30 or 35 years ago, sunscreen was not popular. No one used it. Parents never introduced or enforced it upon their children. Sadly, that was their first mistake. Around that time, melanoma started to increase slowly. Melanoma was being found in one or more spots on the body in people under 50 years old. Tanning beds were starting to be connected to the age problem as well. Today, teenagers and young adults are finding precancerous and melanoma spots on their body.

Don't let it happen to you. Please, don't. I've watched a loved one go through it for 2 years, and it pained me every single minute. She didn't deserve to go through it. Stage IV metastatic melanoma took away the most important woman in my life from me and my family.

This can be prevented in so many ways! The #1 prevention practice is limiting exposure to UV rays. I'm going to be honest and say that tanning beds should be avoided completely! At times, it can be much worse than the sun. It's healthier to go out in the sun, but only for periods of time. Studies show that spending 20 minutes in the sun without sunscreen can be beneficial into getting some Vitamin D. For every minute afterward, it is crucial to wear some SPF. It's important to reapply, especially if there is time being spent in the pool or ocean. Vitamin D can come from something other than the sun, too. It can be found in multivitamin gummies, eggs, or fish, so you still have your options. It's recommended to visit the dermatologist every 6 months, and to check your moles/freckles to see if there are any abnormalities (American Cancer Society).

I used to be oblivious to this. I didn't think it was that bad. I always avoided the tanning beds (and I still do), but I used to go outside in the summer and lay out under the sun until dinnertime. My skin would be so tan, dark, and damaged... and I didn't even know. I wasn't paying attention. I was too worried about looking good. Now, my skin is the lightest it's ever been. I don't go out tanning anymore, and I make sure that I reapply sunscreen almost every hour. Ever since my mom was diagnosed, my eyes have been wide open and I don't miss a thing. I go get checked every once in a while, and I perform self-exams to see if there are any changes.

This wasn't planned and written for sympathy. This was planned and written for awareness. All cancer stories deserve to be shared for awareness and prevention reasons. My mother's story deserves to be told. It's better to tell it than not tell it. It's important to inform people about it.

Don't let it happen to you. You never know until it's too late.