Teenager who ‘thought she had hangover’ on holiday with friends found out she only had 12 months to live
Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing
A teenager who felt unwell following a girl's holiday found out that she had more than just a slight hangover.
Usually, a holiday away with friends presents an escape and a reset for you before returning to the harsh reality of everyday life.
What you don't expect as a product of a summer getaway though, is a serious health problem.
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19-year-old Ella Pick went on a four-week trip with friends to Zante, Greece, last June, and felt 'off' when she returned, thinking it was because she couldn't keep up with the amount of drinking that the group was doing.
The teenager was suffering consistent, severe migraines upon returning to the UK, before her left eye began to drift inwards, which pushed her to go to an optician who referred her to the hospital.
Doctors Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire, discovered a lump on Ella's brain following CT and MRI scans, 'a diffuse midline glioma' on her brain stem.
They revealed to her that it was an incurable and inoperable brain tumour, and she was given just 12 months to live back in July 2023.
She explained: "I look back and think I clearly wasn't well. The pressure in the back of my head was awful. I've always suffered with migraines but never to that extent.
"I went for an eye test and they referred me to the hospital and said it was a 'major concern'," also saying that her holiday was 'amazing'.
It's not clear if her previous migraines were also related to her tumour, but Ella has since had to go on with life as normal, with her even turning down an interview for her dream job as cabin crew for British Airways because of her condition.
Currently working at check-out at a supermarket, the teen's main aim is to create as many memories with her friends and family as possible for the rest of her life.
"I just felt completely numb. It still doesn't feel real," she admitted. "Everyone else around me is hurting more than I am."
The 19-year-old revealed: "They can't exactly say how long I have because I can't have a biopsy because of where the tumour is. If I were to have a biopsy, they would more than likely paralyse me so they can't exactly say how many months I have."
She said that she has got on with things 'as normal', though she has been on a few holidays with her family to maximise her remaining time with them.
Ella said: "You never expect something like this to happen at 18. It's like a movie. It's not actually sunk in even though I've known for nine months.
"I'm just trying to get away as much as possible and stay positive."
Last year, she went through a six-week course of radiotherapy in an attempt to slow the progression of the tumour.
The good news is that her last scan revealed that it was 'not growing' and stable following the treatment, while she said she would be 'open to anything' that would increase her chances of survival.
"There's always different trials with different drugs. I'd be willing to try anything," she stated.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Joshua Nair