Jaida's Story

"On New Years eve 2021 I ended up in A&E with my daughter Jaida (15 years old), who was struggling to breath.

I knew something wasn’t quite right when they saw her almost immediately and she had an x-ray within 15 minutes of being there.

On 2 January Jaida was transferred to a Teenage Cancer Ward in London where we were told she needed a biopsy to confirm which cancer she had, but they suspected a Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. Her shortness of breath was caused by a mediastinal mass which was also causing her lungs to fill with fluid.

A few weeks later Jaida was finally diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma and is on a 2.5 year treatment regimen. Jaida has just completed 8 months of intense chemotherapy and is now in maintenance, which will finish in May 2024.

Jaida has had a really tough year so far with her diagnosis and treatment, but she has managed to spend time with friends and family, celebrate her 16th birthday, attend her end of school prom and sit her GCSEs, and pass them!

Jaida has now started sixth form and is doing really well. She is keen to finish her treatment and put this all behind her.

We are truly grateful to the Ben Saunders Foundation for providing such a well deserved break for Jaida and her family ❤️"