When Jade gave birth to her second baby, Sainti, she expected those first few weeks to be filled with the usual blur of newborn life. Instead, she found herself battling what she believed was a chest infection.
“I was so unwell. I thought it was just a chest infection and didn’t get it checked. The cough just went on and on,” she explains.
By her eight-week postnatal check, the cough was still lingering – not a dramatic cough, just the kind of gentle throat-clearing you barely notice. Jade wasn’t even planning to mention it, but her mum, who had accompanied her to the appointment, raised it with the doctor.
“The doctor didn’t think it was anything serious, but after losing my sister to lung cancer, she felt it was right to refer me for a chest X-ray.”
Jade didn’t attend the X-ray until a month later. That appointment would change everything.
“I was terrified. I’d already lived this nightmare with my sister.”
Nothing could have prepared Jade for the diagnosis.
“I don’t think I can explain the exact feeling. I was so scared and angry. I’d had such a traumatic experience watching my sister go through lung cancer. If it wasn’t for my babies, I don’t think I would have kept it together.”
Her sister had died from stage 4 small cell carcinoma – an aggressive, fast-spreading cancer that took her life just three weeks after diagnosis. She had no warning signs at all.
“Watching someone you love go through something that aggressive is truly heartbreaking.”
Jade’s cancer was very different: a stage 1 typical carcinoid tumour, a slow-growing type that often causes little to no symptoms.
“I felt well. I looked well. You wouldn’t have known.”
Challenging her assumptions about lung cancer
Before her diagnosis, Jade admits she never imagined she could get lung cancer at just 30 years old.
“I’d never smoked. I was fit and healthy. I just never thought lung cancer would happen to me. My whole outlook has changed now. All you need is a pair of lungs. That’s it. Young or old, smoker or non-smoker – it doesn’t matter. Anyone can get it.”
It’s a message she feels passionately about sharing.
Surgery and recovery: “I’ll never take my body for granted again.”
Jade underwent a full left lung lobectomy. It was meant to be performed using keyhole surgery, but complications meant surgeons had to switch to a more invasive procedure.
“Recovery was so much harder than I expected. I was very sore around my ribs and had no use of my left arm for a while. I had to give myself two injections a day for six weeks.”
But the hardest part wasn’t physical.
“I was only six months postpartum, and I couldn’t even hold my baby. I couldn’t get my little boy dressed for school. It’s all the little things you take for granted — I never will again.”
Her partner Jamie, her parents, and her wider family became her lifeline.
“I don’t know what I would have done without them.”
Life after cancer surgery
Physically, Jade now experiences breathlessness and finds daily tasks more challenging, but emotionally she feels nothing but gratitude.
“I feel so lucky to have caught it at the stage I did. I know how different other people’s journeys look. I’m eternally grateful.”
She also received support from Macmillan and knows help is always there when she needs it.
Her sister’s lasting impact
Jade’s sister remains at the heart of everything she does.
“Losing her was traumatic for our whole family. Facing my own diagnosis so soon after felt like a bad dream. But I believe she was looking out for me. The consultants called it a very unlucky coincidence – but I think she made sure mine was caught early.”
Everything Jade does now – from fundraising to awareness – is for her.
“If we’d known more about lung cancer back then, maybe our experience would have been different. If I can help even one person or one family, that’s enough.”
Fighting stigma: “The first question people ask is ‘Did she smoke?’”
One of the biggest misconceptions Jade wants to challenge is the belief that lung cancer is always caused by smoking.
“When my sister passed, the first thing people asked was, ‘Did she smoke?’ When I got diagnosed, it was ‘Are you a smoker?’ People just associate lung cancer with smoking, but it’s so not the case.”
Her story highlights why raising awareness is so crucial.
Finding hope and moving forward
Just three months after surgery, Jade signed up for our 12 Runs of Hope challenge.
“I’m just so grateful for my lungs that are breathing and healthy. I’m grateful for the ability to move my body – so why not move it, raise money and raise awareness?”
She’s been preparing through rehab, attending the gym three times a week and taking daily 5k walks.
Hope, for Jade, means believing this chapter is behind her while continuing to fight for others.
“I hope this is the end of my cancer journey, but I’ll raise awareness every day.”
Looking ahead
Jade dreams of getting involved in more fundraising and even speaking publicly about her journey one day.
Reflecting on the past year, she says:
“I’ve learnt how resilient I am. People ask how I’m just getting on with life after everything – but I’m just so grateful that this is my life. I’m enjoying every little thing.”
Most of all, she credits her children with pulling her through.
“My two children got me through every single day. They saved me.”
Jade’s advice to anyone newly diagnosed: If You Have Lungs You Can Get Lung Cancer
“Don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. Every journey is different. Breathe, stay calm and believe in yourself. Some days are harder than others, but fight through them. You are amazing.”