While pediatric or adolescent melanoma is rare, representing 2 percent of childhood cancers and 8 percent of teen cancers, it does happen.Mobile users tap here to watch videoIt happened to Claire Marie Wagonhurst, the daughter of former WBAL-TV 11 News anchor Marianne Banister, who talked about her daughter's brave battle and what she wants other parents to know.Claire was starting her freshman year of high school in 2011. A mole on her ankle started to change; it looked dusty. Claire's pediatrician thought it deserved evaluation and she was referred to a plastic surgeon to remove it, and the pathologists were surprised."They had to run the biopsy through twice because it didn't make sense that a child that age could have melanoma, a malignancy," Banister said."They didn't believe what they were seeing?" WBAL-TV 11 News anchor Donna Hamilton asked."Exactly," Banister said.Claire's father, Rocky Wagonhurst, said it was the day the world stopped for them."Marianne calls 10 of five on a Friday afternoon, says, 'Rock, where are you?' 'I'm at work.' 'What are you doing?' 'Nothing.' 'Can you come home right now?'" Rocky Wagonhurst said.That was the beginning of a three-year journey that no parent wants to take: surgery, skin grafts, more surgery and interferon injections.But by November 2013, "We did a PET scan and it had spread to her lungs and her liver and her spine," Banister said.Hospitalized, IV chemo followed. Banister said that was hell on Earth for Claire."I want to quit sometimes, but can't. I have to keep going," Claire said on home video.But despite more treatment and medical trials, throwing everything they had at it, the disease had spread to Claire's brain. She lost her valiant battle with melanoma in October.Now Claire's parents have started the Claire Marie Foundation to raise awareness in families and doctors that melanoma for kids and teens is real."This is one thing really important for lots of people to understand. Yes, tanning beds. Yes, UV exposure. Yes, not wearing sunscreens can cause melanoma," Banister said.Banister said she believes that hormonal changes during puberty possibly played a role. Claire never saw a tanning bed and was religious about sunscreen. Her pediatrician, Dr. James Fragetta, said hormones are an area that need further study."Some of those hormonal changes may also trigger bad things to happen, which would be changes potentially to skin lesions in the body that were appearing innocent and then all of a sudden underwent some kind of significant change," Fragetta said.According to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, melanoma can present differently in adolescents:- A bump that itches and bleeds- A wart-like spot, typically non-pigmented or pinkish- An odd-looking mole, especially a large one- A mole that looks completely different from a child's other moles- For girls, it often appears on the lower extremities"Now we know that pediatric melanoma looks different, presents differently, behaves different, reacts different to treatment and can be more aggressive," Banister said.Claire's room spells out who she was. For her parents, they have a message for other parents to be aware of the danger."If somebody sees this story and they take their child into the doctor tomorrow and they can take a mole off before it becomes cancerous, then they're ahead of the game right there," Banister said.For those with a family history of melanoma, doctors say screening should begin at age 10, twice yearly.Banister urges parents not to wait to have a suspicious mole removed. She said Claire waited two months for an appointment, and she can't help but wonder if she had been seen earlier, whether it might have made a difference.Links: Claire Marie Foundation | Facebook | Melanoma.org