Latest news with #cancerSurvivor
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Khaleej Times
Dubai Ruler sponsors life-saving cancer treatment for 15-year-old girl
When 15-year-old Fatima Ahmed Hassan was diagnosed with sarcoma cancer, she and her family were overwhelmed, until hope came from the highest level. "Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum sponsored my entire treatment,' Fatima said, her voice filled with emotion. 'That changed everything. His kindness gave me back my hope, my health, and my dreams.' Fatima's journey of survival was one of the many powerful stories shared during an event held by the Emirates Oncology Society at Dubai's Museum of the Future to honour 100 cancer survivors from 25 hospitals across the UAE recently. The ceremony was part of National Cancer Survivors Month, celebrating lives saved through early detection, expert care, and emotional support. After months of intensive treatment, Fatima is now cancer-free. Her experience has inspired her to pursue a career as a nurse. 'I want to help others the way nurses helped me,' she said. 'Only someone who's felt the same pain truly understands.' 11-year-old warrior aiming to become a footballer For Hamdan Saeed Al Falasi, an 11-year-old leukemia survivor, it all started with bone pain. 'We thought it was from playing sports,' said his mother. 'But when it didn't go away, we knew something was wrong.' A series of tests confirmed leukemia. 'Thanks to early diagnosis and incredible doctors, my son is now healthy and thriving,' she said. 'Parents must never ignore unusual symptoms, early diagnosis saved my son's life.' Hamdan is now back to doing what he loves most, playing football. 'I'm so happy to be healthy again and back to playing. I want to become a doctor in the future to help others like my doctors helped me,' he said. Doctor becomes the patient Dr Hind Salama, a dentist and mother of two from Gaza, Palestine, had no symptoms at all when a routine check-up in 2023 detected breast cancer. 'When doctors asked if I wanted to go home for treatment, I told them, 'This is my home. I want to be treated here,' she said. 'The UAE gave me everything, without distinction.' Chemotherapy was the most difficult part, but support from her family and medical team got her through. She now urges others, especially women, to undergo regular screenings. Fighting rare cancers Mustafa Osama, 23, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, two years ago. 'It was emotionally overwhelming,' he said. 'But from the moment I entered the UAE's healthcare system, I knew I was in safe hands.' 'Even though my cancer was rare, I found specialists who treated me with compassion and expertise. I haven't seen this level of professionalism anywhere else.' The event highlighted the UAE's inclusive approach to healthcare. Survivors praised the country for offering equal access to cutting-edge treatments and compassionate care, regardless of nationality or background. 'The UAE doesn't treat you like a case file,' said one survivor. 'It treats you as a human being, with dignity and empathy.' Vision for the future Prof Humaid Al Shamsi, president of the Emirates Oncology Society, said the event was a celebration of resilience and a reflection of the UAE's ongoing commitment to world-class cancer care. 'This is not just about honouring survivors,' he said. 'It's about reaffirming our dedication to research, innovation, and early detection, so more families can hear the words - 'You are cancer-free,'' said Prof. Al Shamsi.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Jamie Theakston makes heartfelt confession as he accepts Best Radio Show accolade at the TRIC Awards following his cancer battle
Jamie Theakston made a heartfelt confession as he accepted an award at the Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) awards on Tuesday evening. The presenter, 54, took to the stage after his radio show Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden was honoured during the evening. However the star, who was diagnosed with stage one laryngeal cancer in October 2024, admitted he didn't know what the future in the last year amid his cancer battle. Beginning with a playful jibe at his co-host Amanda he joked: 'Thank you very much as you know my co host can't stand the man in the limelight so you have me and it's a pleasure to be here.' Jamie then confessed: 'There has been times in the past 12 months where I haven't known where I was gonna be never mind on this stage so I really appreciate it. He added: 'We last won this 10 years ago so I'll see you in 10 years.' Laryngeal cancer is a type of cancer that affects the larynx (voice box) and Jamie first sought went to the doctors after listeners noticed there was something not right with his voice. After undergoing three life-changing surgeries and being told he had 'a one in six chance he might not be able to talk again', Jamie revealed back in January that he was cancer free and would be back on the radio full-time. Last month Jamie revealed he initially kept his possible cancer diagnosis a secret from beloved wife Sophie Siegle for weeks as they enjoyed a family holiday to Japan. The radio host said he was so blindsided by the news he worked hard to 'suppress it' in order to enjoy the trip with their sons Sidney, 17, and Kit, 16. Speaking on an episode of Davina McCall 's Begin Again podcast, Jamie explained that he had to undergo emergency scans just hours before boarding a plane for their long-awaited family trip. 'I didn't tell anyone. At that stage, I thought, well, it might not be cancer. So there's no point really in saying anything,' he said. 'I just tried to suppress it. All I could think was, it's probably not.' It wasn't until the biopsy results came back that the cancer diagnosis was confirmed. 'I then had to go home and tell my wife,' he said. 'She was distraught.' 'I went on holiday with this in the back of my mind, We had a fantastic time - but obviously, this was there in the background.' Taking to Instagram in January Jamie shared the news he was cancer free as he wrote: 'Nice try cancer, but I'm still here! CANCER FREE. Difficult roads can lead to beautiful destinations, and after 3 surgeries and 4 months of vocal therapy, I'm back baby !!' Breaking the news to his sons, he said, was the hardest part: 'I had to explain to them that I was going to be fine, but they were too young to understand. When you say you've got cancer to a 14-year-old, they think you're going to die'. 'My youngest son had been with me when I was told my mum had died of cancer, so he knew what it meant.' Jamie lost his mum in late 2022. 'I was so pleased that she had died before I got cancer,' he said. 'I would've hated for her to know. I'm not sure what that would've done to her. During the chat he recalled how listeners noticed his voice had changed: People mentioned my voice wasn't sounding right,' he said. 'And I knew it wasn't right myself, but you just think - sore throat, nothing serious.' But a visit to a throat specialist changed everything. 'He looked at my throat and said, 'Oh yeah, that's probably cancer' I said 'What do you mean?' And he said 'Nine times out of ten, it is cancer and we need to get you scanned now.'' After his initial surgery, doctors feared some cancerous cells may have been left behind, prompting a second, and eventually a third operation. 'We were getting dangerously close to removing so much of the vocal cord that I wouldn't be able to talk again,' he reflected. But the third surgery was successful, and in January this year, Jamie triumphantly returned to Heart Breakfast alongside co-host Amanda Holden - whom he credits with getting him through it. 'Amanda was incredible,' he said. 'She checked in on me nonstop. She kept the show going. She's a force of nature.' Now cancer-free, Jamie says his recent health ordeal has dramatically transformed his outlook on life. 'It's been a real gift. Often when bad things happen to us, there are good things to take from it. And I really do feel that I am a better person because of what I've been through. 'I hope it'll make me a better parent. Maybe it might make me a better broadcaster. It certainly feels like it made me a better person.'
WebMD
17-06-2025
- WebMD
Finding the Beauty After the Storms
I visited Washington, D.C., with a few of my friends this spring to see the Cherry Blossom Festival. It was a trip we had been planning for a couple of months, so I was excited that the time had finally come for us to go. A week before our trip, the blooms reached full peak. We did not worry because while it is not easy to determine when this will actually happen, the trees usually retain their beauty for several days afterward. Unfortunately, a sudden wind and rain storm battered the blossoms a few days before our trip. So these already fleeting beauties were all but blown away into the Tidal Basin where many of the cherry trees are planted. I kept close watch of this area in real time via a live view camera. Each day it seemed that the trees were becoming greener with just some speckles of pink left behind. Instead, I focused on a cluster of pretty pink ones that had weathered the storm. I can relate to those trees, as someone who has found the beauty in the ashes of life. The spiritual context of this saying – according to – is 'the Lord promises that He would 'bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair'' (Isaiah 61:3). This is the 22nd year since my breast cancer story began. Lord knows that it has not been easy, as I have lost a lot. Yes, I could be consumed by the heaviness of being in treatment and losing my hair, yet I realize that I have gained so much more. Instead, I try to stay focused on all of my blessings and keep a heart of gratefulness. I appreciate the beauty of flowers, the warmth of the sun, and the friendly smiles of strangers. This is why I did not want to lose focus on the clusters of blossoms that remained pink. I wanted to have something to look forward to. We took a train to Washington and checked in to our hotel in the Capitol Hill area. After we got a bite to eat, we decided to go to the Tidal Basin to see the sunset. During our taxi ride, it was a bit disappointing to see, in person, that indeed, most of the blossoms in various areas were gone. But we were determined to make the most of everything. When we arrived at our destination, we saw a small crowd of people taking photos in front of the cluster of pink trees. Feeling excited, we walked toward them. Although the area didn't have the full glory of a lot of lush pink trees, it was still a sight to see along the waterfront. We took some amazing photos with the warrior blooms that seemed to wait for us to get there. During the rest of the weekend, we visited the United States Botanic Garden to see their orchid exhibit, enjoyed a live jazz performance, and ate at some wonderful restaurants. Like life, we can make our plans, but I believe it is God who orders our steps (Proverbs 16:9). The trip to see the cherry blossoms was our original focus, but we had to just reset and appreciate the memories that we made together and make the most of every opportunity bestowed upon us. Life is beautiful even during the stormy seasons. It is about what you make of it after the storm ends.
Irish Times
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
‘I walk everywhere with one crutch': Senator Nikki Bradley on life as a prosthetic-using politician
When the bell goes for a vote in Leinster House, TDs and Senators have 10 minutes to get to the chamber from their offices before the doors are locked. This is a greater challenge for Senator Nikki Bradley than for most. The Donegal woman, a cancer survivor who had partial-leg-amputation surgery in 2022, uses a prosthetic and says it takes time to get to the Seanad chamber. 'Leinster House is huge. And I walk everywhere with one crutch,' she says. Bradley says the Oireachtas authorities have been 'been absolutely incredible' since her appointment to the Upper House last year. 'They changed out seats, they made a little footstool for me in the Seanad,' she adds. READ MORE She has learned to ask when she is in the chamber, however, if a second vote is likely to be called in the following half hour. 'What was happening was I would go the whole way back to my office and I would literally get to the door and the bell would go again. So I'd have to walk the whole way back.' Senator Nikki Bradley. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Bradley says the combination of the long drive to Dublin from Donegal and moving around Leinster House with her current prosthetic, which does not bend at the knee, has taken its toll. The Milford native has suffered chronic nerve pain since she had a tumour removed in 2004. Then there were two right-hip replacements and a metal plate, from hip to knee, being inserted after she broke her femur, all followed by a rotationplasty. 'There's no rhyme or reason to the pain,' Bradley says. 'You can wake up one morning and be completely fine and wake up the next morning and be in bits.' The 39-year-old Taoiseach's nominee, who hopes to one day be elected as a Fine Gael TD for Donegal, had to work from home for a number of weeks because of pain related to her prosthetic. She has an additional problem now because of the weeks spent putting all her weight through her good leg. 'I've now actually acquired another injury on my left foot. So I've no legs left to walk on,' she says, adding that she is using two crutches for the moment to deal with the issue. A disability campaigner, Bradley has climbed mountains and crossed glaciers as a prosthetic user. But her most recent adventure was last summer when she climbed Mount Errigal with the prosthetic that does not bend at the knee. One of 5,000 people in Ireland with an amputation or limb deformity, Bradley says: 'my specialists in the UK have said the prosthetic I have now is not fit for purpose. 'I'm actually going to have to go [to the Netherlands] to get a new one made and that's going to cost me an absolute fortune,' she says. 'And that's not where we want to be in Ireland. I shouldn't have to leave the country to do that.' Nikki Bradley: 'You feel like you're shouting as loud as you can, but hardly anybody can hear you.' Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill The most basic prosthetic will cost her €7,000. Her current one cost €15,000, which she did not have to pay, but some are priced at up to €30,000 and Bradley is not covered for prosthetic treatment in the Netherlands. Bradley's cancer is a rare form and probably fewer than five people in Ireland have had the same amputation she did. 'It means I've had to go to the UK because they're more experienced ... the resources in Ireland are just not there because there aren't enough people dealing with it. 'We've certainly come a long way since I was diagnosed. We're in a much better place, but there's still a lot that could be done.' Bradley is working with the Leinster House officials, who have carried out an accessibility audit. She plans to have Paralympians and other disability groups walk around the building to point out areas that could be improved. She says as a disability advocate 'you feel like you're shouting as loud as you can, but hardly anybody can hear you'. 'But as a Senator, I can make positive change for people on a national level. It's not just people living with disabilities, it's their entire circle. 'I'm still very much finding my feet. I have a lot but I've been using my time as wisely as possible meeting as many different groups as I can.'
Daily Mail
15-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Susan was given soul-crushing news after ignoring the little-known warning signs - here's what she wants everyone to know before it's too late
Susan Schmidt was only 45 when her life changed forever. Fit, active, and running a physiotherapy business while raising two children, the Brisbane mum never expected that the relentless fatigue she was feeling could be anything more than early menopause. Now 47, Susan is living with incurable stage four bowel cancer - and sharing her story in the hopes that it might prompt others to take action before it's too late. 'I just thought I was exhausted because of life,' the Brisbane mum told FEMAIL. But the tiredness was unlike anything she'd ever known. 'In May 2023, I was having to pull the car over just to sleep. I'd drive 15 minutes to drop my daughter off at rowing and then have to stop halfway home to nap for 40 minutes,' she said. 'That's not normal. That was a warning sign. But I brushed it off.' In June 2023, Susan and her family jetted off to France for a friend's wedding. It was a dream holiday filled with catch-ups, wine and cheese - but for Susan, it alco came with sudden digestive issues. 'I'd never had constipation in my life,' she recalled. 'But in France, I just wasn't going properly. I figured it was the rich French food, too much cheese. I didn't think more of it.' The symptoms worsened after she returned to Brisbane, and things took a terrifying turn one night when her beloved horse fell ill with salmonella. 'That night, I ended up on the bathroom floor in absolute agony. Vomiting, diarrhoea, unbearable pain. It lasted for eight hours. I honestly thought I had caught salmonella from the horse,' she said. The pain was like nothing she'd ever experienced. 'It was worse than childbirth. I was crawling into the shower, trying to relieve the pain with heat. It was a nine out of ten on the pain scale,' she said. Still, the initial tests showed nothing. 'Blood tests, stool samples - all normal. No blood in my stool. Perfect bloods, my GP said. But they weren't looking for cancer.' Four days later, it happened again. Another episode of debilitating pain. This time, Susan returned to her GP. 'After the second attack, he referred me for a colonoscopy. I got on the cancellation list and luckily got an appointment within three weeks - it can usually take months,' she said. That colonoscopy, in September 2023, changed everything. 'I woke up and they wouldn't give me food. They said, "You might have to go into emergency surgery." I knew that wasn't good,' she said. Doctors couldn't complete the procedure - a tumour in Susan's rectum was so large, they couldn't get the camera past it. Further scans revealed a devastating diagnosis: Stage four bowel cancer which had already spread through the rectal wall to her uterus, pelvic lymph nodes, and to her lungs. Susan began an intense course of chemotherapy: 12 rounds of treatment over six months. 'It was brutal, but I made it through,' she admitted. In March 2024, she underwent surgery, and doctors were able to remove all visible tumours with clear margins - what she described as 'exciting' news. The plan was then to tackle the lung tumours with targeted stereotactic radiation - but the celebration was short-lived. 'When they went to prepare for the radiation, they found lots of small tumours throughout my lungs,' she said. 'Radiation wasn't possible anymore.' A second chemotherapy drug followed, and when that didn't shrink the cancer, her team tried immunotherapy. 'But I developed autoimmune hepatitis. My liver couldn't handle it. I had to stop all treatment for four months,' Susan said. During that pause, the cancer spread again - this time to a lymph node behind her heart. 'I restarted chemo in November last year. Thankfully, after five doses, that new tumour was gone and the others had stayed the same.' She's just completed that round of treatment, but her journey is far from over. 'The diagnosis is incurable,' she said. 'The plan is to stay well for as long as I can. I'll likely go back on chemo after my next trip overseas.' Susan's story is, sadly, not unique. Early onset bowel cancer - diagnosed in people under 50 - is on the rise in Australia. But the stigma and silence around bowel symptoms mean many people don't speak up until it's too late. 'I didn't talk about my bowel habits. Who does?' she said. 'That's the problem with bowel cancer - people don't raise the alarm.' Even as a health professional, she was caught off guard. 'I had health literacy. I was a physiotherapist. But it never occurred to me to consider bowel cancer. I didn't have blood in my stool, no dramatic symptoms - just fatigue, constipation, and two extreme episodes of pain.' That lack of clear early warning signs is exactly why Susan is now sharing her story. 'I want people to know the signs. I want them to push for answers if something feels off,' she said. 'Even if your blood tests are normal, even if you're told it's stress or diet or menopause - follow your instincts.' Susan and her husband broke the news to their two children, then 13 and 11, shortly after her diagnosis. 'I decided to be honest,' she said. 'They were remarkably resilient. They know the life expectancy, and they're handling it beautifully. I'm so proud of them.' Her parents and wider family were also devastated, but quickly rallied around her. 'I'm really lucky. I have an incredible support network. My friends even formed a group called 'Sooz's Floozies' during chemo. They'd dance in the street, block traffic, cheer me on,' she said. On the day of her final chemo round, friends stood on every street corner on her drive to the hospital, waving balloons and signs. 'It's helped them too. Supporting me has helped them deal with it. That's why community matters,' she said. But treatment has taken a toll. Peripheral neuropathy has made it difficult for Susan to work as a physio. Her memory is fuzzy, her energy unpredictable - but her outlook has shifted. 'I don't rush anymore. I try to stay present. I say 'I love you' to my kids every time they leave. I make sure every moment counts,' she said. She's planning a bucket-list trip to Italy in two weeks' time - and dreams of seeing the Northern Lights in Finland. 'Most of my goals are travel-related. Just being with friends and family. That's what matters,' Susan said. There's also a quieter grief. 'It's a grief for the life that might have been. Not what was, but what could be. Especially for my children. If they lose their mother, how will it shape their lives? That's the grief I carry,' she explained. Still, Susan refuses to lose hope. 'I feel well. I feel healthy when I'm not on chemo. That gives me hope,' she said. 'I believe the answer to cancer is out there. I just have to stay well long enough to get there.' Susan's message is clear: Know the symptoms. Speak up. Push for answers. 'Bowel cancer isn't just for older people. Early onset bowel cancer is increasing at a frightening rate,' she warned. She wants women - and especially younger women - to listen to their bodies, and trust when something feels off. 'I ignored the warning signs for months. It never occurred to me it could be cancer. Now I'm living with stage four,' Susan said. June is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. Launched in partnership with Bowel Cancer Australia
