Miss York finalist to tell cancer story (From York Press)

Miss York finalist to tell cancer story

10:12am Saturday 29th May 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

THE Miss York finalist who developed skin cancer after years of tanning is set to appear on national TV to tell her story.

Dental student Amy Hills says she will head by train to London straight after competing in the Miss York final tomorrow evening at the Royal York Hotel.

She is then due to go on GMTV on Monday morning to talk about her experiences, which were exclusively revealed in The Press on Thursday.

We reported how Amy, 24, from Selby, wanted to speak out to alert other women to the dangers of artificial tanning and also sunbathing without sun lotion to protect her skin.

She said she had undergone surgery on a mole on her arm which tests had shown was cancerous, and had then had a second op to remove muscle tissue underneath.

Doctors hoped they had intervened in time to prevent the cancer spreading, but told Amy she needed check-ups every three months for the next five years. Amy is one of 19 women taking part in the Miss York final, after one finalist dropped out. She aims to win prizes including entry into the Miss England competition. Organisers have abandoned the traditional swimwear section in the contest, saying they wanted to get away from the traditional image of such events as a “cattle market.”

Instead, they replaced it with a new boot camp challenge, which was held recently with the involvement of Miss England 2009, Katrina Hodge, a lance-corporal in the British Army. Amy took part in the camp at Roko gym on Clifton Moor only hours after undergoing surgery on her arm.

•Scores of tickets costing £20, to include a glass of wine, have been sold for tomorrow’s final, which starts at 5pm. Anyone wanting any remaining tickets should phone 07919 423003 or 07979 742756.