Student With Itchy Skin Diagnosed With Rare Form Of Cancer

A 17-year-old college student has been left devastated after she found out her itchy skin was a sign of cancer.

Amie Riozzi, studying at Hugh Baird College in Liverpool, was diagnosed with the rare cancer Hodgkin lymphoma disease after she went to a doctor due to itchiness all over her body, the Liverpool Echo reports.

Initially the 17-year-old noticed she was getting itchy limbs, before the sensation spread to her entire body. It was assumed she was suffering from a skin condition, such as eczema, but a lump in her neck became another cause for concern.

Credit: Liverpool Echo

Doctors confirmed the worst for Amie and she was admitted to Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital and has recently start a six-month chemotherapy programme, according to the Echo.

The student has been extremely impressed by the caring staff at the hospital, and now has to ambition to defeat her illness and become a nurse in order to help other children.

"It was really emotional hearing the diagnosis and it's been really difficult," Amie told the Liverpool Echo. "But I'm coping with it well now, because I know I'm going to get better, and I've been able to with support of family and friends. All of them have been coming to see me.

Credit: Liverpool Echo

"I'm going to go back to college, and I want to be an oncology nurse now - I would love to be as helpful as the nurses here.

"And I feel really upset about losing my hair, but I thought if I'm going to lose it, I should give it to someone else. I'm having it shaved on July 17."

She made the decision to shave her head after the thought of her hair falling out in clumps and then made the admirable decision to donate it to be turned into wigs for other cancer stricken children through the Little Princess Trust.

Credit: Liverpool Echo

Diane, Amie's mother, said: "We are so proud of her - the way she's been is just amazing. She hasn't cried once. She's an inspiration to us all, the way she has turned something so negative into a positive.

"It has been pretty heartbreaking, but Amie's positivity has kept us all going."

You can donate to Amie's crowdfunding page here, as she donates her hair and raises awareness.

Topics: Liverpool, Cancer

Mark McGowan

Mark is a journalist at LADbible, who joined in 2015 after a year as a freelance writer. In the past he blogged for independent football fan channel Redmen TV, after graduating from Staffordshire University with degrees in journalism and English literature. He has worked on campaigns such as UOKM8? and IIOC.