Earlier this year, Jarrod Lill was in Noosa with his three children (ages 9, 13 and 15 years) when he first suspected something wasn’t quite right.
The Queensland destination had become an annual escape in recent years, where he and the kids enjoyed quality time together, especially since the passing of Jarrod’s wife and the children’s Mum to cancer in 2019. It was May 2024, four years on from that devastating loss.
In Noosa, I was going surfing, swimming, running every day, and I started feeling a bit tired,” the 52-year-old describes, initially putting it down to the busy combination of running a commercial construction business and solo-Dad life.
But back in Auckland Jarrod noticed a pea-sized lump in his groin, which blew out to golf-ball size after a routine run. He went to his local medical centre and was advised to go straight to a nearby urgent care clinic, where he was then directed on to the hospital’s accident and emergency.
Initial suspicions that it was a hernia were quickly discounted by a cancer specialist surgeon and an ultrasound was done. Two days later a call came from the specialist, who was overseas at the time, revealing confronting news for Jarrod.
“She said, I’ve got some really, really bad news. You’ve actually got cancer,” he recounts.
At the time I was driving to a big factory where I was running a large meeting. We talked for the duration of my drive out there and she explained that I had six tumours that were all bigger than my thumb.
“And it was pretty advanced. They were stage three. It was melanoma.”
“The lymph nodes had been destroyed by cancer and become necrotic and I also had tumours growing outside of the lymph system as well as deep in the groin against the bone in the hip.”
A further PET-CT scan was needed to determine the extent of spread of the cancer. Jarrod describes this period of waiting as the most stressful time, where he was focussed simply on the daily basics while doing his best to process what was unfolding.
Thankfully the scan showed no additional significant tumours, and a treatment plan was quickly mapped involving both drugs and surgery. Jarrod says the oncologist’s message to him was clear – treatment needed to start the next day, or the outcome wouldn’t be good.
Initially he had three cycles of immunotherapy, thankfully covered by his health insurance, and Jarrod responded like a ‘textbook patient’.
They really hoped the Keytruda would shrink the tumours because they were very deep and very big and wrapped around arteries, and possibly quite difficult to get out.
“After the second cycle I had another scan, and the result was amazing… the tumours had shrunk 40%.”
In August Jarrod had surgery which took four hours and involved three surgeons. “They got all the cancer out. They took out all eight lymph nodes in my leg, and eight lymph nodes up into my heart and stomach.”
Jarrod’s recovery was interrupted by post-surgery infection requiring more time in hospital, but he’s now through that and has re-commenced immunotherapy treatment which will continue until May 2025.
“I’ve had a prognosis now that I’m 90% cured. From what I’ve gone through, it’s as good as it can get,” he says.
Throughout the journey Jarrod has been extremely mindful of the impact of his diagnosis on his three children, who’d already experienced losing their Mum to cancer earlier than any child should have to. He says, “My kids are my life, they’re so important. We operate together. You have to keep the family going, right?”
Jarrod’s melanoma is one of a small percentage of cases where the primary source hasn’t been identified, but he knows his years outdoors, unprotected from the sun are the likely cause.
Growing up in the lower South Island and much of his adult working life in Wellington, Jarrod’s spent plenty of time in the sun, with years of recreational outdoor time, an eight-year stint in the police including dive squad time out on the water, transitioning to becoming a builder. He knows, in hindsight, he could have been more vigilant with sunscreen, wearing a hat, clothing and sunglasses, as well as shade, to protect his skin.
Sharing his story Jarrod says, “I hope it helps someone else.”
I was blessed enough to know that something was wrong pretty quickly in my body and went straight away and got it looked at, and everyone who helped did their best job. I couldn’t ask for more, right?”