A student was found to have cancerous tumors that “crushed his heart and windpipe” after a family doctor initially dismissed his symptoms as a viral infection.
Imogen Selvester, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, was hospitalized on 6 June after noticing her mother had turned yellow. She’s chest X-ray showed a bunch of tumors, she.
This was followed by months of waiting times from the NHS, and the 12-year-old missed opportunities to get cancer.
In February, Imogen went to the doctor complaining of itchy skin, night sweats and fatigue. His mother, Natalie Bloxham, also noticed unusual lumps on her neck.
His doctors thought Imogen had a viral infection and told him to come back in three weeks if his symptoms didn’t improve.
However, Imogen was infected with Covid at the time, and doctors thought her symptoms might have been exacerbated by the virus that caused the pandemic.
When the lump on her neck hadn’t disappeared yet, Imogen was told she needed more tests at the hospital, but the family was told it could take up to three months.
Ms. Bloxham finally took her daughter to the hospital in early June after realizing she had jaundice, a sign of cancer.
Doctors initially thought that a lump on Imogen Selvester’s neck was a viral infection. Pictured here for Imogen’s 12th birthday
But months later, after being taken to the hospital for jaundice, it was finally revealed that Imogen had a rare cancer called Hodgkin lymphoma.
The scans revealed that the tumors contained in the cancer (highlighted in pink) actually compressed his heart and windpipe, and also spread to other parts of his lymphatic system, a network of blood vessels and glands scattered throughout his body.
The scans revealed a group of tumors around the young woman’s heart and windpipe, blocking the blood and oxygen pumped into her body.
Further testing showed that Imogen had stage three cancerous Hodgkin lymphoma.
Cancer develops in the lymphatic system, which is a network of blood vessels and glands in the body that normally helps fight infections.
It is considered a rare cancer and only 2,100 cases are diagnosed each year in the UK. Three quarters of patients survive for 10 years or more.
Since her diagnosis, Imogen has undergone chemotherapy to reduce the size of the tumors.
Speaking of the ordeal, Ms Bloxham, 34, said her doctor initially thought the lump on her daughter’s neck was a viral infection.
“I took him to the doctor as soon as it mattered” [lumps in neck] and they advised it could go viral and wait three weeks,” he said.
Imogen with her stepfather Martin Turford and mother Natalie Bloxham. Imogen’s cancer diagnosis delayed further after contracting Covid
They took Imogen to Greece to cheer him up while he awaited further testing at the hospital, which could take the family up to three months.
After being diagnosed with cancer, Imogen undergoes chemotherapy to shrink tumors.
The family was told that Imogen’s condition meant that she would likely lose her hair and might have problems conceiving in the future.
A family friend organized a fundraiser to help Imogen buy a wig and financially support the family during this time.
Bloxham, who worked as a caregiver before her daughter was diagnosed with cancer, said that Covid had delayed the diagnosis.
“I waited three weeks and that’s when Imogen caught Covid,” he said.
‘When the family doctor called back they warned me that Covid might bother them and they should wait longer. Then they sent him to the hospital for an appointment,” he said.
One’s mother said this happened when the family was told it could be three months before Imogen got a scan.
“The doctor said it was urgent, but when I spoke to the hospital they made it routine and said the appointment would take three months,” she said.
At the time, completely unaware that he might have cancer, the family decided to go on vacation to Greece to cheer up Imogen.
†I wanted Imogen to have fun as she hasn’t been herself for a while,” he added.
Just two weeks after returning to England, Ms Bloxham said she noticed her daughter’s condition worsening.
“Imogen turned yellow, had a fever of 40 degrees, and his urine was strangely colored,” he said.
“I immediately called the doctors who saw him on June 6”.
The doctor said that Imogen had jaundice and advised the family to take him to the hospital.
On arrival, Imgoen’s mother said doctors initially blamed jaundice for Covid, before the scans revealed tumors that had crushed her heart and windpipe.
“They tried to blame Covid on Imogen for the symptoms of jaundice until they had a chest X-ray.
“Here, they found a group of tumors around his heart that were crushing his windpipe.”
Ms Bloxham added: “Imogen took five days of intense chemotherapy and steroids to help shrink the tumors.
“We were told that Imogen was at high risk of infection and was starting to lose hair.”
Doctors also told the family that Imogen may have problems conceiving children of her own in the future due to chemotherapy.
But Ms Bloxham said her family “stands firm” that Hodgkin lymphoma is easy to treat with a 90 percent success rate.
The disease can develop at any age, but is more common in people between the ages of 20 and 40 and those over 75 years of age.
About 300 people die of cancer each year, but 75% of those diagnosed survive more than a decade.
There are approximately 8,500 new cases of Hodgkin lymphoma and approximately 950 deaths each year in the United States.
A family friend, Samantha Dawson, created a crowdfunding page to help out, as Miss Bloxham had to leave her to help her daughter.
The money raised will be used to help the family financially and buy a wig for Imogen, who lost her hair due to chemotherapy. People can donate to the fundraiser here †
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
