A teenage girl who thought she had wisdom tooth pain actually had a gobstopper-sized tumour growing in her cheek.
When Nadia Hobbs, 18, from St Thomas, Exeter, first started feeling a ‘toothache’ once she noticed a small pea-sized lump on her jaw.
Pretty soon the pain was worse and the lump had more than doubled in size.
After going to the doctor blood tests came back ruling out common causes like mumps and glandular fever but the aching and bulge remained.
Pretty soon the teen was in excruciating pain and her mother, Rachel Hobbs, took her to the hospital, refusing to leave without getting answers.
“Mum was concerned from day one but the lump was so tiny and it felt similar to the pain of a wisdom tooth coming through,” Nadia told The Sun.
After having further tests and an MRI scan, the mass on Nadia’s cheek was revealed to be an aggressive and rare form of child’s cancer – Rhabdomyosarcoma.
Fewer than 60 children are diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma in the UK each year, most are under ten and most are boys, so for Nadia the news came as quite a shock.
“That day hit me like a brick wall, I was so scared I cried for what seemed like forever I was so scared,” she said.
“The size of the tumour completely shocked us all, I couldn’t believe how huge it was.”
Since finding out Nadia has gone through seven cycles of chemotherapy and the tumour has shrunk by 75 per cent.
“I’ve tried to remain positive throughout and have met some really amazing people along the way,” she says.
One of the most amazing people through her journey however has been her mum who she says pushed her to find out what was wrong.
“I don’t know what I’d do without my mum, I never thought I would get cancer and thanks to her I got the diagnosis I needed sooner rather than later,” tells Nadia.
She wants to share her story as a cautionary tale to young people about being vigilant with their health as an early diagnosis can save lives. She is also using her story to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
“I’m so incredibly proud of Nads,” says mother Rachel. “I don’t know where she gets her strength and determination from, she’s been through so much and I’m just glad she got diagnosed when she did.”
And the teen’s mum is quick to sing her daughter’s praises.
“I haven’t saved Nads’ life by any means, I just kept pushing for a diagnosis and made sure she was treated as soon as possible and now we are hoping for the best.”
Nadia Hobbs is kicking cancer’s ass.
The Australian Cancer Council urges that “finding cancer early improves your chances of successful treatment and long-term survival.”
Any lumps, sores or ulcers that don’t heal or anything unusual about your body could be a sign something is not right.
The Cancer Council suggests these as ways to reduce your cancer risk
Stop smoking – lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Australian women.
Be SunSmart – protect yourself in the sun and take care not to burn.
Stay in shape – aim for a healthy body weight
Move your body – be physically active for at least 30 minutes on most or all days.
Eat for health – choose a varied diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and limit your intake of red meat.
Limit alcohol – no more than two standard drinks a day (recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council) and try one or two alcohol-free days a week.
If you have any concerns or questions, please contact your doctor.
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