Mom Thought Bump on 11-Year-Old’s Temple Was from Playing Outside. Then Doctors Told Her She Would Lose Her Eye (Exclusive)

Melanie Wightman developed ocular melanoma, a rare eye cancer that develops in pigment-producing cells of the eye

Melanie Wightman has always loved fashion — even as a kid, her days began with choosing a colorful outfit and ended with playing outside with friends before dinner and bedtime.

But one afternoon, when she was 11, that routine was interrupted when she came home and noticed a small bump on her right temple. She showed her mom, who was immediately puzzled.

“I remember she was very confused,” Wightman, the middle child of two sisters, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “She was like, ‘Did you get hit by a ball? Were you playing soccer with your friends or something?’ And I tried to think, but I was like, ‘No — nothing happened.’ ”

Her mom took her to their local doctor, who wasn’t concerned. A second doctor wasn’t either. Still, her mom couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. One doctor quietly offered to do a biopsy “if it would give us comfort,” Wightman, who grew up in a military family, recalls.

They agreed, and not long after, the results came back cancerous.

“I was so young,” she says. “The doctor explained what was going on, and my mom — she was my rock through everything — would sit me down and talk me through it. I understood enough to cope with what was happening, but being young almost made it easier.”

@melanie_wightmanMy cancer story from me🎗️I hope by sharing my cancer story I can bring awareness to cancer, cancer fighters and survivors, and to remind us we are all a little different and that’s what makes us beautiful&lt3♬ original sound – Melanie Wightman

After her diagnosis with ocular melanoma, a rare eye cancer that develops in pigment-producing cells of the eye, Wightman underwent surgery on her temple.

Eventually, during a follow-up visit at age 12, she learned doctors would need to remove her right eye. She had the eye removed the very next day before returning home for extensive surgery to clear the margins, including skin grafts on her side to ensure no cancer remained.

“That was probably one of the hardest days,” she recalls.

Following these surgeries, Wightman faced years of treatment — including interferon therapy, radiation in Florida and ongoing monitoring — all while navigating life as a teenager adjusting to the challenges of having lost her eye.

Then, during her freshman year of high school, she learned her cancer had returned, prompting another major surgery. By her junior year, it had spread to her liver. Steroid treatment was attempted, but her body couldn’t tolerate it, forcing her onto a more difficult regimen.

@melanie_wightman Vulnerable post for Mel! But something I’m proud of that I have wanted to share with you especially being the last day of childhood cancer month💛 Throughout my cancer journey, I’ve faced many battles. Since being diagnosed with cancer, the one battle I’ve always feared to face was losing my hair. To some, hair might just be hair and that’s ok! But to me, it was something I held onto. I’ve felt that my hair was something I could hold on to that I never wanted cancer to ever take control of. This summer, I faced that fear. Knowing I was started a new treatment, I wanted to ask my doctors if I was gonna lose my hair, but I didn’t because I didn’t want it to become a reality. In the back of my mind I knew it was gonna happen, but didn’t want to speak it, almost like an unspoken thing everyone knew, but didn’t want to say. On my way to meet with my doctors to prepare for my upcoming treatment I finally addressed it. The unspoken fear was now a reality. I told everyone I was gonna be ok, that I was strong, that I could handle it, and I did, but it’s taken a lot from me to do so. I remember sitting in my hospital bed touching my hair seeing it fall out. I tried not to touch my hair in hopes that it would just stay. Once home from treatment, as it continued to fall out, I got up one day and decided to brush it out. I couldn’t look in the mirror when I did it because at the moment I didn’t want to see something I held onto cancer had taken. I didn’t show anyone, not even my family for a while, but one day in preparation for ordering a wig, I needed help measuring my head. I asked my mom for help, and after about 30 minutes of sitting with her I took off my beanie and just started crying. In that moment, we sat and she hugged me. From losing my hair, initially it was hard for me to look in the mirror. I was so scared of such a change and difference in myself. Throughout my cancer journey, I have struggled with appearance and now for my hair to be taken I felt like it was another weight to carry. I was even scared to touch my scalp. Throughout my cancer journey, I chose to face everything with positivity, even in the hard moments because that’s what gets me through. Cancer has taken a lot from me, and hair being what felt like the last thing it took felt defeating, but I’ve realized cancer hasn’t taken everything. Cancer hasn’t taken the Melanie I am away from me. With or without hair I’m still Melanie. It was a day in August I finally decided to embrace my new look. Instead of seeing it as a loss and a fear I was so scared of, I see it today as a new way of seeing beauty in me and loving myself. Throughout everything cancer has taken from me, I’m proud of the Melanie I am today and I love her with or without hair🎗️💛 #cancer #cancerawareness #cancerpatient #hairloss #fyp ♬ original sound – gabby 😈

She continued her treatment, but when she began college at James Madison University, her cancer continued to grow. She balanced liver treatment with her classes, visiting the health center between lectures and traveling for therapy over breaks.

Even amid these challenges, Wightman found ways to hold onto joy — and for her, fashion became a lifeline. Through her style, she could express herself, embrace her identity and reclaim a sense of normalcy despite the uncertainty of her treatment.

“I remember even going to treatment… just wearing a sparkly shirt or a big bow would bring me a little joy,” she says. “Fashion has always given me a space to express myself.”

@melanie_wightman Losing my hair to cancer has been one of my toughest battles, but I’m proud of and continue to love the Melanie I am today🎗️💛 wig is from @Highline Wigs #cancer #chemo #hairloss ♬ Look At That Woman – ROLE MODEL

She also leaned heavily on her support system.

“I’ve had incredible support from my doctors and specialists who would come sit with me during treatment,” she says. “And my friends here in college — they’ve been with me through everything. They send letters, FaceTime me, check in with texts like, ‘How are you doing?’ Those small gestures have shown me how much I value my friendships and how much they mean to me.”

During a monthlong hospital stay last summer for treatment, Wightman began making small TikTok videos to lift her spirits. What started as private, playful clips for her family quickly became a platform to share her style, routines and insights from her cancer journey.

Her content took on an even deeper meaning when she learned she would lose her hair.

“I remember thinking, we can make something out of this. Since I had sewing experience, I wanted to make my own bandanas — special and personalized to me.”

She went straight to the store and bought an embroidery machine. Inspired by the idea that every cancer diagnosis has a ribbon, she created her own unique version — one that symbolized her experience.

“I wanted one that represents my story,” she says. “Wearing it brings me comfort, confidence and strength. It feels like me.”

@melanie_wightman Make a bandana with Mel Part 2!!🧵 Mel’s Ribbon is something special to me and I hope to continue to make bandana’s for myself and for others🎗️💛 Stay tuned for part 3 where I style my Mel’s Ribbon Bandana! #sewing #bandana #cancer #fyp ♬ sonido original – SONIDOS LARGOS

She has since made multiple bandanas and colorful head wraps and has continued to post about them on TikTok, where her videos have gone viral, reaching thousands of people worldwide.

“All the love I got from that has helped me through this,” she adds. “It keeps me going and keeps me fighting. Even just one person saying my video brought positivity to their day means so much — that’s truly what I want to do through what I share.”

The support she’s received has inspired her to keep sharing, even in the toughest moments, including recently when scans revealed continued growth in her liver and new areas of concern.

Wightman admits that when she got the call from her doctors about her scans, she was disappointed, but she decided to post a video anyway. “It wasn’t the news I wanted to share, but I thought, let’s put it out there.” Sharing it publicly, she says, helped her feel less alone and gave her a sense of control over her story.

Since then, she’s undergone another round of liver treatment, and she and her medical team are discussing what comes next. Even as the future remains uncertain, Wightman says she’s learned to embrace every version of herself — finding strength, creativity and moments of joy in places she never expected.

Still, she admits that it isn’t always easy.

“There are times when it’s easy to feel self-conscious — a look, a head turn or just a moment where I notice my appearance,” she continues. “When I have those moments, I remember when I found out I was losing my right eye to cancer. The doctor sat me down and said, ‘You’re gonna look a little different.’ I replied, ‘Aren’t we all a little different?’ ”

That reminder has become an anchor for her.

“I tell myself, cancer doesn’t define me. It might take away my hair, but it will never take the Melanie away from me,” she says. “Losing my eye and my hair has taught me to love every version of myself. I hope people can take something from my story — that we’re all a little different, and that’s what makes us beautiful. Even through something hard, you can find positivity.”

It’s a message she returns to often — and hopes others can, too.

“I remind myself of what that 11 or 12-year-old version of me said, and I hope it serves as a reminder that we are all a little different — and that’s beautiful. Even through something hard, I hope people can take something positive from my story and my page, and find a little joy through it too.”

Melanie Wightman developed ocular melanoma, a rare eye cancer that develops in pigment-producing cells of the eye

Melanie Wightman has always loved fashion — even as a kid, her days began with choosing a colorful outfit and ended with playing outside with friends before dinner and bedtime.

But one afternoon, when she was 11, that routine was interrupted when she came home and noticed a small bump on her right temple. She showed her mom, who was immediately puzzled.

“I remember she was very confused,” Wightman, the middle child of two sisters, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “She was like, ‘Did you get hit by a ball? Were you playing soccer with your friends or something?’ And I tried to think, but I was like, ‘No — nothing happened.’ ”

Her mom took her to their local doctor, who wasn’t concerned. A second doctor wasn’t either. Still, her mom couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. One doctor quietly offered to do a biopsy “if it would give us comfort,” Wightman, who grew up in a military family, recalls.

They agreed, and not long after, the results came back cancerous.

“I was so young,” she says. “The doctor explained what was going on, and my mom — she was my rock through everything — would sit me down and talk me through it. I understood enough to cope with what was happening, but being young almost made it easier.”

@melanie_wightmanMy cancer story from me🎗️I hope by sharing my cancer story I can bring awareness to cancer, cancer fighters and survivors, and to remind us we are all a little different and that’s what makes us beautiful&lt3♬ original sound – Melanie Wightman

After her diagnosis with ocular melanoma, a rare eye cancer that develops in pigment-producing cells of the eye, Wightman underwent surgery on her temple.

Eventually, during a follow-up visit at age 12, she learned doctors would need to remove her right eye. She had the eye removed the very next day before returning home for extensive surgery to clear the margins, including skin grafts on her side to ensure no cancer remained.

“That was probably one of the hardest days,” she recalls.

Following these surgeries, Wightman faced years of treatment — including interferon therapy, radiation in Florida and ongoing monitoring — all while navigating life as a teenager adjusting to the challenges of having lost her eye.

Then, during her freshman year of high school, she learned her cancer had returned, prompting another major surgery. By her junior year, it had spread to her liver. Steroid treatment was attempted, but her body couldn’t tolerate it, forcing her onto a more difficult regimen.

@melanie_wightman Vulnerable post for Mel! But something I’m proud of that I have wanted to share with you especially being the last day of childhood cancer month💛 Throughout my cancer journey, I’ve faced many battles. Since being diagnosed with cancer, the one battle I’ve always feared to face was losing my hair. To some, hair might just be hair and that’s ok! But to me, it was something I held onto. I’ve felt that my hair was something I could hold on to that I never wanted cancer to ever take control of. This summer, I faced that fear. Knowing I was started a new treatment, I wanted to ask my doctors if I was gonna lose my hair, but I didn’t because I didn’t want it to become a reality. In the back of my mind I knew it was gonna happen, but didn’t want to speak it, almost like an unspoken thing everyone knew, but didn’t want to say. On my way to meet with my doctors to prepare for my upcoming treatment I finally addressed it. The unspoken fear was now a reality. I told everyone I was gonna be ok, that I was strong, that I could handle it, and I did, but it’s taken a lot from me to do so. I remember sitting in my hospital bed touching my hair seeing it fall out. I tried not to touch my hair in hopes that it would just stay. Once home from treatment, as it continued to fall out, I got up one day and decided to brush it out. I couldn’t look in the mirror when I did it because at the moment I didn’t want to see something I held onto cancer had taken. I didn’t show anyone, not even my family for a while, but one day in preparation for ordering a wig, I needed help measuring my head. I asked my mom for help, and after about 30 minutes of sitting with her I took off my beanie and just started crying. In that moment, we sat and she hugged me. From losing my hair, initially it was hard for me to look in the mirror. I was so scared of such a change and difference in myself. Throughout my cancer journey, I have struggled with appearance and now for my hair to be taken I felt like it was another weight to carry. I was even scared to touch my scalp. Throughout my cancer journey, I chose to face everything with positivity, even in the hard moments because that’s what gets me through. Cancer has taken a lot from me, and hair being what felt like the last thing it took felt defeating, but I’ve realized cancer hasn’t taken everything. Cancer hasn’t taken the Melanie I am away from me. With or without hair I’m still Melanie. It was a day in August I finally decided to embrace my new look. Instead of seeing it as a loss and a fear I was so scared of, I see it today as a new way of seeing beauty in me and loving myself. Throughout everything cancer has taken from me, I’m proud of the Melanie I am today and I love her with or without hair🎗️💛 #cancer #cancerawareness #cancerpatient #hairloss #fyp ♬ original sound – gabby 😈

She continued her treatment, but when she began college at James Madison University, her cancer continued to grow. She balanced liver treatment with her classes, visiting the health center between lectures and traveling for therapy over breaks.

Even amid these challenges, Wightman found ways to hold onto joy — and for her, fashion became a lifeline. Through her style, she could express herself, embrace her identity and reclaim a sense of normalcy despite the uncertainty of her treatment.

“I remember even going to treatment… just wearing a sparkly shirt or a big bow would bring me a little joy,” she says. “Fashion has always given me a space to express myself.”

@melanie_wightman Losing my hair to cancer has been one of my toughest battles, but I’m proud of and continue to love the Melanie I am today🎗️💛 wig is from @Highline Wigs #cancer #chemo #hairloss ♬ Look At That Woman – ROLE MODEL

She also leaned heavily on her support system.

“I’ve had incredible support from my doctors and specialists who would come sit with me during treatment,” she says. “And my friends here in college — they’ve been with me through everything. They send letters, FaceTime me, check in with texts like, ‘How are you doing?’ Those small gestures have shown me how much I value my friendships and how much they mean to me.”

During a monthlong hospital stay last summer for treatment, Wightman began making small TikTok videos to lift her spirits. What started as private, playful clips for her family quickly became a platform to share her style, routines and insights from her cancer journey.

Her content took on an even deeper meaning when she learned she would lose her hair.

“I remember thinking, we can make something out of this. Since I had sewing experience, I wanted to make my own bandanas — special and personalized to me.”

She went straight to the store and bought an embroidery machine. Inspired by the idea that every cancer diagnosis has a ribbon, she created her own unique version — one that symbolized her experience.

“I wanted one that represents my story,” she says. “Wearing it brings me comfort, confidence and strength. It feels like me.”

@melanie_wightman Make a bandana with Mel Part 2!!🧵 Mel’s Ribbon is something special to me and I hope to continue to make bandana’s for myself and for others🎗️💛 Stay tuned for part 3 where I style my Mel’s Ribbon Bandana! #sewing #bandana #cancer #fyp ♬ sonido original – SONIDOS LARGOS

She has since made multiple bandanas and colorful head wraps and has continued to post about them on TikTok, where her videos have gone viral, reaching thousands of people worldwide.

“All the love I got from that has helped me through this,” she adds. “It keeps me going and keeps me fighting. Even just one person saying my video brought positivity to their day means so much — that’s truly what I want to do through what I share.”

The support she’s received has inspired her to keep sharing, even in the toughest moments, including recently when scans revealed continued growth in her liver and new areas of concern.

Wightman admits that when she got the call from her doctors about her scans, she was disappointed, but she decided to post a video anyway. “It wasn’t the news I wanted to share, but I thought, let’s put it out there.” Sharing it publicly, she says, helped her feel less alone and gave her a sense of control over her story.

Since then, she’s undergone another round of liver treatment, and she and her medical team are discussing what comes next. Even as the future remains uncertain, Wightman says she’s learned to embrace every version of herself — finding strength, creativity and moments of joy in places she never expected.

Still, she admits that it isn’t always easy.

“There are times when it’s easy to feel self-conscious — a look, a head turn or just a moment where I notice my appearance,” she continues. “When I have those moments, I remember when I found out I was losing my right eye to cancer. The doctor sat me down and said, ‘You’re gonna look a little different.’ I replied, ‘Aren’t we all a little different?’ ”

That reminder has become an anchor for her.

“I tell myself, cancer doesn’t define me. It might take away my hair, but it will never take the Melanie away from me,” she says. “Losing my eye and my hair has taught me to love every version of myself. I hope people can take something from my story — that we’re all a little different, and that’s what makes us beautiful. Even through something hard, you can find positivity.”

It’s a message she returns to often — and hopes others can, too.

“I remind myself of what that 11 or 12-year-old version of me said, and I hope it serves as a reminder that we are all a little different — and that’s beautiful. Even through something hard, I hope people can take something positive from my story and my page, and find a little joy through it too.”