Teenager diagnosed with brain tumours and skin cancer twice - before her 18th birthday

Ruby-Jo Sneed, 18, was diagnosed with a uncommon familial chromosome deletion aft undergoing familial investigating aged 12 owed to her family's past of tumours

An 18-year-old assemblage pupil had her world turned upside down erstwhile she discovered she had a uncommon familial upset that made her highly susceptible to processing tumours and melanoma. At the property of 12, Ruby-Jo underwent familial investigating owed to her family's past of tumours and was diagnosed with a chromosome deletion of her CDKN2A gene, which is liable for producing proteins that enactment arsenic tumour suppressors.

Over the people of conscionable implicit 2 years, from 15 to 18, Ruby-Jo faced a bid of daunting wellness challenges, including 2 diagnoses of melanoma and the removal of 2 non-cancerous encephalon tumours, the astir caller 1 being successful December 2024. Hailing from Hull, Ruby-Jo, recalling her experience, shared: "I was astir 12 years aged erstwhile I recovered retired I had it.

"At the clip I deliberation I had a affirmative outlook connected it, I was excited I could person the time disconnected schoolhouse sometimes! I was rather thrilled to consciousness peculiar successful a mode and I didn't deliberation of the dangers of it astatine that age.

"But erstwhile it really affected maine with the tegument crab and encephalon tumour it was a monolithic shock.I retrieve conscionable crying my eyes out, questioning wherefore me?"

The family's probe revealed that the mutation originated from Ruby-Jo's grandmother, who had battled tegument cancer, and her auntie, who was diagnosed with a non-cancerous encephalon tumour astatine the tender property of six successful 1981.

Ruby-Jo's auntie's lad was besides diagnosed with a encephalon tumour aged six and aboriginal went connected to make tegument crab earlier passing distant aged conscionable 14 from leukaemia. And erstwhile Ruby-Jo's brother, Bailey, present 14, was besides diagnosed with a benign encephalon tumour again astatine the property of six, doctors were definite it was familial owed to the household history.

Her relative tragically mislaid his conflict with leukaemia astatine conscionable 14, having antecedently faced a encephalon tumour and tegument cancer. Compounding the family's woes, erstwhile Ruby-Jo's brother, Bailey, present 14, was diagnosed with a benign encephalon tumour astatine six, doctors suspected a familial link.

Indeed, tests confirmed that some Ruby-Jo and Bailey had inherited the information from their mother, Laura, 36. Now, Ruby-Jo indispensable endure lifelong vigilance with tegument examinations for moles and regular MRI scans each 3 to six months.

Tragically, successful September 2022, aft already warring a encephalon tumour, Ruby-Jo confronted different daunting challenge: tegument cancer. She said: "When I was 15 determination was a melanoma pain and that was removed connected 3rd July 2022 conscionable earlier twelvemonth 11 and the unusual happening astir that is that the biopsy should person taken six to 8 weeks but it took 13 weeks truthful we each thought nary quality is bully quality but connected October 12, 2022 we were told that it was tegument cancer."

She besides said: "At the aforesaid time, I had an MRI and I was diagnosed with a encephalon tumour successful September, conscionable a period before."

As she entered twelvemonth 11, her absorption was torn betwixt her studies and her combat for health. After monitoring the encephalon tumour to spot its progression, specialists decided to operate, starring to its removal successful July 2023 arsenic it continued to grow.

She recounted: "I had the tumour removed and it was a horrible acquisition - I was 16 and I'd had a truly bully clip astatine prom and abruptly it was scary and traumatising.

"But they were capable to region it each and they tested the tumour and it wasn't what they thought it was - it was a people 2 PXA non-cancerous truthful I ne'er needed immoderate further treatment."

Afterwards, Ruby-Jo faced different wellness setback successful April 2024 erstwhile doctors advised checking a mole, which was subsequently excised that aforesaid month. The results revealed a harsh information soon after: "They had to region further insubstantial from my limb to marque definite determination was nary crab there," she said.

"On the aforesaid day, I was told that my member had besides been diagnosed with signifier 1 melanoma tegument crab and was waiting for surgery."

In a cruel twist of fate, a regular MRI check-up earlier successful April 2024 led to different startling find - a 2nd encephalon tumour. Bravely undergoing country successful December, she reflected connected the diagnosis received successful May: "I got results successful May and I was told I'd been diagnosed with different encephalon tumour but this clip it was successful the representation portion of my encephalon which was scarier - thankfully that meant it was precise casual to remove."

Faced with a daunting determination implicit attraction options, she said: "Memory is simply a immense portion of your beingness truthful we initially looked into radiotherapy arsenic I didn't privation immoderate scary aft effects of the country but I thought I've been done it once, I tin bash it again."

Ruby-Jo, a brave fundraiser who gathered implicit £800 for the Brain Tumour Charity done cook sales, has opened up astir her challenging journey, revealing that doctors informed her: "They really past said due to the fact that I had this chromosome deletion it wouldn't beryllium imaginable for maine to person the radiotherapy and determination would beryllium a higher hazard of maine processing much encephalon tumours."

Despite the risks, she underwent palmy country successful December to region different growth, which turned retired to beryllium a PXA tumour erstwhile more.

Facing the stark world of her condition, Ruby-Jo confessed that contemplating the aboriginal is daunting, knowing her unwellness could reoccur. With an aerial of resilience and aspiration, she inactive harbors the ambition to writer a publication astir her uncommon familial disorder.

Determined, she stated: "All wrong successful 2 years - it's hard to deliberation astir the aboriginal and due to the fact that it's happened for a 2nd clip already, it could hap a 3rd and 4th time."

Her struggles person been immense, but truthful excessively has been her tendency to stock her story: "I person suffered much than anything, it’s been my imagination to constitute a publication astir my life."

From a young age, Ruby-Jo has grappled with this shadow, saying: "I’ve known since the property of 12 that I’d beryllium astatine hazard of getting tegument crab and encephalon tumours and I had to unrecorded with the fearfulness each time that I mightiness dice sooner than a mean person."