STUDENT Fatimah Mazen was just 15 when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease she’d never even heard of – sarcoma – a soft tissue tumour.
She was in her GCSE year and being plunged into treatment meant she missed her mock exams and her grades plummeted.
Until now, Fatimah, from Paddington, has found it difficult to talk about her diagnosis and treatment, even to friends and family. But now, as a young Muslim woman, she is ready to speak out.
She is sharing her story to raise money for research that will help more youngsters survive cancer with a good quality of life.
And she has become a ‘poster girl’ in hundreds of Cancer Research UK shops around the country.
Fatimah said: “Before, I found it really difficult to speak to friends – there was this line between us and I couldn’t relate to them. It’s understandable but it’s sad. I found myself speaking to other teens who were diagnosed.
“Also, I felt I couldn’t say anything, especially with my family. It’s a taboo subject. We don’t really speak about it.
“People don’t understand the stigma. It’s not just about hair loss – it affected my whole body image. You can fluctuate between gaining weight and then becoming skeleton-like. I didn’t want to leave the house.
“But now I can remember things without fear, so it’s my time to speak out. And it feels good because a lot of people have reached out to me since and said thank you.”
The first signs of Fatimah’s illness emerged in April 2019.
“My diagnosis was an aggressive sarcoma, a soft tissue tumour in the ribs.
“I didn’t know what a sarcoma was – even that it was a cancer. I was confused and frightened, And I did what you probably shouldn’t do – researched it – including survival rates. It was scary.
“I had to have a year of chemotherapy, and I had to stay at a hotel next to the hospital. It was a lot to process at that age.
“Then I had radiotherapy and two operations – one major and one smaller procedure. And I am still waiting for more surgery now, as they were not able to do everything they needed to initially.
“It was also during Covid times, so we were being taught from home. I missed 70% of my exams. Teachers gave me a grade 8.”
When treatment finished, people expected Fatimah to return to the girl she was before.
“There is an expectation that you are back to normal. The cancer may have left your body but it doesn’t mean it has left your mind.
“It was part of me for a couple of years. And it was so traumatic – you don’t forget. You worry – will it come back? Will someone else in my family get it?
“There are still appointments, MRIs and worry – you can never go back to the person you were. I’m 19 now, but think you need a lot more support after cancer, and I don’t think people are aware of the impact at this age.
“I’ve never been a ‘poster girl’ before, so this is a new and interesting experience for me.
“This is about raising money for Cancer Research UK for Children & Young People, which is vital. Knowing I could make a difference to others like me means so a lot so I hope people will give what they can.”
In London, around 530 under 25s are diagnosed with the disease each year and many may experience serious long-term side effects.*
Shoppers can show their support by making a donation in-store or picking up a gold ribbon pin badge – the symbol for young people’s cancers – while stocks last.
Thanks to the generosity of its supporters, Cancer Research UK’s work has helped to transform survival. Today more than 8 in 10 children and young people diagnosed with cancer in the UK survive for at least ten years,** but there’s still much further to go.
Great Ormond Street Hospital in London is one of the many centres across the UK taking part in ground-breaking clinical trials coordinated by Cancer Research UK’s Children’s Cancer Trials Team. These trials make innovative new treatments available to children with cancer in London/across the region.
One of the trials is finding out what the best possible treatment options are for children and young adults with a type of brain tumour called ependymoma.
Another trial is searching for the best treatment for young people and adults whose germ cell tumours have come back, or who treatment has stopped working for. In the TIGER study, the team will compare standard chemotherapy (the chemotherapy that’s usually given) with a higher dose to identify which is best for patients.
Cancer Research UK spokesperson in London, Lynn Daly, said: “Our heartfelt thanks go to Fatimah for helping to shine a light on some of the challenges faced by young people like her that our scientists are working to tackle.
“Huge progress has been made, but too many young lives are still lost to this devastating disease. Cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults – from the types of cancer to the impact of treatment and the long-term side effects survivors often experience. So, it needs different, dedicated research that we’re grateful to Londoners for helping to fund.”
“Not only do we need donations to help continue our mission, we need volunteers too. Our shops simply couldn’t operate without these incredible individuals. No matter how much time a person can give or what their experience, we’re urging people to get in touch. A few hours can make a big difference and give people a real sense of camaraderie in all pulling together for one reason – to beat cancer.”
Donate in-store at Cancer Research UK shops or online at cruk.org/childrenandyoungpeople
