A dad from Bromborough was given months to live after a suspected insect bite on holiday turned out to be stage four melanoma. Chris Capstick, 41, noticed the mark on his back while on his honeymoon in Greece in 2022.
Misdiagnosed as a cyst
For six months, Chris visited his GP as the mark changed colour and grew. Doctors initially said it was a cyst, a harmless lump. But after it became uncomfortable, he asked for it to be removed in February 2023. Tests revealed it was melanoma.
Chris was given a 15% chance of survival. He received the news with his wife Lauren, who was pregnant at the time. The couple now have three children: Isabella, six, Mila, 10, and Nylah, two.
Treatment and recurrence
After having lymph nodes removed, Chris spent 13 months on immunotherapy and was briefly cancer-free in early 2025. But six months later, tumours were found on his brain and body, making his cancer terminal.
Chris said: "I was given 10 to 12 months to live. It was a massive shock for me and the family. We try to stay positive. I'm trying everything. I'm trying red light therapy, oxygen therapy."
Daughter's book
Just over a year on, five of six brain tumours have disappeared. Chris now has no prognosis. His daughter Isabella has written a children's book, Daddy's Little Monsters, to help other children understand a parent's illness. Over £630 has been raised to distribute it to cancer centres and hospices.
Chris said: "It would mean everything (to have the book across the UK). It’s my legacy in a way."
