A young discovered she had an incredibly rare form of after finding a lump when her daughter was just two months old.
Nikita Jones, 22, noticed the lump between her breasts last summer and initially it was treated as an abscess. However, when antibiotics failed to clear it, Nikita was referred to a breast clinic where she was diagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma - a soft tissue cancer - in August 2023.
Nikita was told she was one of only two people in the UK with this incredibly rare type of cancer. Speaking on her behalf, Nikita's mum Vicki Hughes described the subsequent year as .
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After her diagnosis, Nikita had to wait for surgery while titanium ribs were created, as doctors planned to remove part of her rib cage. She underwent intense surgery in October 2023, which included a double mastectomy and removal of part of her chest plate.
Fortunately, doctors were able to leave her ribs intact and Nikita, from Port Talbot, was sent to London for six weeks of proton beam therapy treatment. This proved extremely challenging, leaving Nikita with burns, reports . In March this year, she was given the all-clear, but in the following months, Nikita developed pain and swelling in her legs, along with a persistent cough and repeated chest infections.
Tragically, a shadow on the lung of Nikita, detected by doctors as probable inflammation post-treatment, turned into her worst fear after a CT scan. "She didn't want that scan, she was nervous then, I think she knew," shared her mum, Vicki.
Alarmingly, the scan revealed the return of cancer in her lungs, and doctors broke the heart-wrenching news that there were no further options; without treatment, Nikita had six months, and with chemotherapy, roughly 16 months to live.
The family is reeling from the shock, trying desperately to ensure Nikita has treasurable moments with her daughter Vienna. A friend of Nikita's swiftly set up a astonishingly gathering £3,000 within a day to support this mission.
Before this devastating revelation, Nikita, alongside her daughter and partner Shaun Williams, had just begun setting up their first home, hoping for new beginnings. Overcome with emotion, Vicki expressed, "There is just no words, I am lost for words," conveying the family's distress.
Determined to face the challenge head-on, Nikita is planning a 'f*** you cancer' party soon, aiming to make the upcoming months a tapestry of joyful memories with loved ones.
According to Vicki, the support surrounding Nikita is phenomenal, with a "whole village" rallying around her, including unwavering encouragement from her grandmother Catherine, sisters Jordanna and Tanisha, and her wider circle of friends and family.
