Girl with rare cancer issues warning after pea-sized lump ballooned in just six weeks

Gaby initially believed the pea-sized lump in her right cheek was related to her teeth

Gaby was diagnosed with a rare cancer at 13 (PA)

A schoolgirl sent home with antibiotics by a dentist when a pea-sized lump appeared in her cheek watched in shock as the mass grew to the size of a “tennis ball” and resulted in a rare cancer diagnosis.

Gaby Maurice, 16, who lives in Cambridgeshire, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of the soft tissues, at 13 after first noticing an initially pea-sized lump in her right cheek in October 2021.

At first, her mother Olga, 39, a factory worker, took her to the dentist, as they believed the lump was related to her teeth – but as the swelling increased, they were advised to visit a GP.

“It was like a little pea at first, but it was growing bigger and bigger every single day,” Gaby said.

“It started right at the top and then it started spreading all the way down (my face) – and after six weeks, it was the size of a tennis ball.”

After having an ultrasound and biopsy at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, it was revealed Gaby had rhabdomyosarcoma and she would need to undergo treatment – including chemotherapy, which caused all her hair to fall out.

“I had really long blonde hair and it was like my comfort blanket – I loved my hair, I loved styling it – so it was hard, but I knew it was going to grow back eventually,” she said.

Gaby before her diagnosis (PA)

Gaby had several operations, including a 14-hour surgery to remove the entire tumour, proton beam therapy – a type of radiotherapy – and maintenance chemotherapy afterwards.

Gaby has since reached remission, which was a “big weight off (her) shoulders”, and although she still needs regular check-ups and scans, she is back at school and will sit her GCSEs this year.

She feels her “normality” is returning after missing out on a whole year of school, and she hopes to become a children’s oncology nurse to “give back” to other young patients with cancer.

“I want to give back what I received, and I think, because I’ve been through it, it will be beneficial for the children receiving treatment,” Gaby said.

“I think it will be good having someone care for them who has been through it as well.”

Speaking about the impact of her own diagnosis, she added: “I’m proud of my scars because it shows what I’ve been through – I battled cancer and I made it out the other side.”

Gaby initially believed the pea-sized lump in her right cheek was related to her teeth, and after visiting her dentist, she was sent home with antibiotics to treat what appeared to be an infection.

Gaby said the lump in her cheek grew to the 'size of a tennis ball' (Collect/PA Real Life) (PA)

After booking an appointment with a GP, however, she was referred to the Ear, Nose and Throat department (ENT) at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where doctors thought the swelling was a blocked saliva gland.

The then 13-year-old saw four different surgeons, who suggested a biopsy would be the best course of action to determine the cause – and just three days later, in October 2021, Gaby was told she had a cancerous tumour in her jaw muscle.

Gaby felt shocked and “numb” and did not know “how to react”.

“It was devastating but we got together and we just thought, ‘We can’t give up, we need to fight’,” Olga said.

Gaby was then referred to the children’s cancer ward at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge to receive care under a specialist team, where she started the first of nine rounds of chemotherapy in December 2021.

“I had nine cycles in total with four different types of chemotherapy, and I had a feeding tube for six months and couldn’t have any food orally,” she explained.

She said the chemotherapy was a “shock” to her body, and she experienced side effects of extreme exhaustion, nausea, and hair loss, leaving her feeling “insecure”.

“Your body doesn’t really know how to react to it,” she said.

“I couldn’t even walk to a toilet without collapsing because of how weak it made my body feel.

“My hair started falling out on a Friday, and then, by the Monday it was all gone. You’d brush it and there would literally be big clumps of hair.”

Gaby ended up shaving her head while in hospital, and this was challenging as her hair was her “comfort blanket” – but she knew this would only be temporary.

The chemotherapy lasted around six months, and after undergoing multiple operations, including one to remove the entire tumour, she had proton beam therapy at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, which finished in June 2022.

Gaby was supported by Teenage Cancer Trust youth support co-ordinator Angie, who helps young people who are receiving proton beam therapy – and Gaby described her as “brilliant”.

Gaby in hospital (PA)

“Angie arranged pizza nights and introduced me to other young people who had cancer; it was nice to meet people who I had things in common with,” Gaby said.

Gaby’s treatment saw her miss an entire year of school and meant she could not play sports – but she said her health was her priority and she was supported by her family and friends, and her trusty dog Woody.

“Before I started treatment, I was very sporty – I played football and netball and I used to get involved in all the school fixtures – but the chemotherapy ruined the nerves in my feet, so I couldn’t walk properly,” Gaby explained.

“I was in a wheelchair, I wasn’t able to do any sports, and I didn’t really see my friends for months.”

After finishing her treatments, Gaby was told she would need to have maintenance chemotherapy for 18 months, where she would take tablets every day – and she has since reached remission, saying “life’s been really good”.

Now, as part of Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month this April, Gaby has decided to share her story to raise more awareness of cancer and to encourage others “to appreciate the smaller things in life”.

“It’s the little things in life like being able to go for a walk when it’s sunny outside, or walk the dog, or even go for a swim, because when I had my Hickman line, I wasn’t able to go swimming or have a proper shower,” Gaby said.

“With my tumour, I couldn’t eat for six months – I was on a feeding tube – so even ice cream on a summer’s day, or a big fat pizza to myself.”

Speaking about her advice to others, she added: “There will be a light at the end of the tunnel, and if you are at rock bottom, the only way is up.

“You’ve just got to trust the process sometimes and do what you’ve got to do to make it better.”

Teenage Cancer Trust is highlighting life after cancer treatment and has launched new information to support teenagers and young adults with the challenges of rebuilding their lives after cancer.

To find out more, visit: teenagecancertrust.org/information-about-cancer/after-cancer-treatment