Tiffany Basson: “At 17, my life was about to change dramatically”

Tiffany found out she had ovarian cancer when she was still a teenager, after months of doctors dismissing her symptoms. Now 30, she reflects on what it was like to be a young person coping with a cancer diagnosis. Read her story below.

After middle school, I was offered a place at a college that allowed me to play for the Chelsea Girls’ Football team four days a week. Having always wanted a career in sports, it was a dream come true. Naturally, I was fit and healthy and attuned to my own body. However, I seemed to be rapidly losing weight everywhere but my middle. I felt tired all the time, lost my appetite, and had intense pains in my stomach. Sometimes, I would have episodes where the pain was so bad, I physically couldn’t move. 

The doctors dismissed my pain as “imaginary”, but I knew something was wrong. It wasn’t until I had one of my episodes during a doctor’s appointment, the pain was so bad I had to curl up in the foetal position, that a scan was organised. I had waited seven weeks for an ultrasound, but in just 20 minutes they called me with the results. The scan showed a four stone tumour, the size of a watermelon, growing on my left ovary. 

Within three days I had gone from being told I was fine, to having to prepare for an operation, shave my head, and consider the fact that I might not be able to have children. It was a lot to process at 17.

As a teenager, I found treatment particularly difficult because I had no one to relate to. Whilst my friends were going out for the first time and celebrating their 18th birthdays, I was stuck in hospital. The closest person to my age on the ward was 40. 

Once I had finally recovered, I tried to go straight back into my sporting career, but my body wasn’t ready. I had to completely rethink what I wanted to do. It was a friend who suggested I looked into childcare, as I had always loved children. 

At 30, I have found my true calling working with kids. I have developed multiple other health issues since my original diagnosis, but in spite of this, I feel like I am a stronger person.

For information, advice, and access to support for younger women with ovarian cancer, visit this dedicated page on our Patient Hub.