A heartbroken family have spoken of their devastation after daughter sadly passes away just months after her 21st birthday from an aggressive form of cancer. Jenna Patel was enjoying her life to the fullest, with ambitions of becoming a primary school teacher, however her and her family's world turned upside down when she discovered what she believed to be an 'insect bite' on her shoulder.

While in the middle of her studies, the 21-year-old noticed a lump on her shoulder that appeared after she did some gardening with her mum and brother in the spring of 2021. At first she thought it was an insect bite, but went to the doctors to get it checked out in case, as reported by MEN.

She was sent for an ultrasound by a GP who assumed it was a cyst, however it proved inconclusive. The student was then put down onto an MRI scan waiting list while she went about enjoying her work placement at a local primary school.

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However, Jenna's lump continued to grow in size and in July she was sent for tests at The Manchester Royal Infirmary. It was when Jenna and her mother, Priti, were sitting in the hospital corridor surrounded by posters about sarcomas, that they both began to fear the lump may actually be cancerous.

Jenna was then diagnosed with a rare cancer known as Ewing’s sarcoma. All the while, her father, Manish, was not too far away receiving treatment himself for lung cancer.

According to the NHS, Ewing’s sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that affects bones or the tissue around bones. It mainly affects children and young people, but is also seen in adults. It's more common in males than females.

Symptoms include:

  • bone pain – this may get worse over time and may be worse at night
  • a tender lump or swelling
  • a high temperature that does not go away
  • feeling tired all the time
  • unintentional weight loss

Ewing sarcoma can spread to other parts of the body quite quickly. The earlier it's diagnosed, the better the chance of treatment being successful. It can sometimes be cured, but this might not be possible if the cancer has spread.

The cancer can also come back after treatment, so you'll be offered regular check-ups to look for any signs of this. Some people need treatment for many years. Around six out of 10 people with Ewing sarcoma live at least five years after being diagnosed. But this can vary and some people live much longer.

After her diagnosis, Jenna was referred to The Christie and placed on an immediate course of chemotherapy. Her daily treatment included having chemotherapy drugs attached to her. Meanwhile, her father was also going through chemotherapy at the same time.

Throughout the autumn, Jenna went on to make good progress and doctors said she is likely to make a full recovery by March, meaning she would be able to resume her studies by at least October.

But sadly, as soon as Jenna stopped her chemotherapy for a break before beginning her radiotherapy treatment, the tumour suddenly grew rapidly. She had more scans and plans for radiotherapy needed to be scrapped.

She was referred to the specialist Birmingham Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and underwent surgery just weeks before Christmas to remove the tumour. Brave Jenna was warned she might lose her arm depending on the size of the tumour.

'I thought my daughter just had an insect bite - then months after her 21st birthday she was dead'
Jenna and her family

Despite the surgery going well, Jenna's tumour was bigger than anyone had expected when it was removed. Tragically, months before Jenna's 21st birthday she began suffering breathing difficulties.

After being sent for scans, she was told her cancer had spread to her lungs. Jenna however remained positive, always smiling and went on to enjoy her 21st birthday.

As she was still recovering from such major surgery, chemotherapy needed to be delayed. Jenna then faced a repeated pattern of chemotherapy seeming to work initially, but that was followed by it becoming ineffective each time until by April last year, she and her family were given the news that her cancer was terminal and there were no more treatment options.

She planned her entire funeral insisting mourners weren’t allowed to be sad or wear black and even asked for Stormzy to be played. Jenna also wanted her friends and family to enjoy a party afterwards and remember the happiness they had shared with her. Jenna died at home on May 13, 2022.

Her family are now backing a Cancer Research UK campaign to help give hope to future generations this World Cancer Day (Saturday February 4). The family are keen to keep Jenna’s memory alive and have been busy fundraising for cancer charities, including raising more than £6000 for Cancer Research UK after taking part in the night-time Shine walk in Manchester last autumn.

Priti, 49, said: “Throughout absolutely everything Jenna never ever stopped smiling and that’s what people always think of, her beautiful smile. When we were told she had cancer, I felt numb. The news was too much to take in knowing that her dad was only a few miles up the road also going through cancer treatment.

“Jenna remained so positive and determined that she inspired us all. Her death has left a huge hole in our lives and we miss her very deeply. But she wanted Liam to have an amazing career and go into medical research to make a difference. And we want to keep her memory alive to help others and raise as much money as we can to get rid of such a horrible disease.”

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