In 2003, when she was just 3 years old, Nicole Biddulph, from Devon, developed a tumor the size of a golf ball on her back.
During a biopsy to check whether the tumor growth was cancerous or not, doctors unfortunately severed her spinal cord due to the fibrosarcoma wrapped around it. Since then, she has been permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Not only that, Ms. Biddulph then had to endure four months of chemotherapy and 30 radiotherapy sessions, which caused her to vomit and lose her hair.
Nicole Biddulph, 19 years old, revealed that when she was 3 years old, while performing a biopsy on a tumor on her back, an accident occurred and she has been paralyzed ever since.
But since defeating the disease, Ms. Biddulph, now a student, has refused to submit to her fate despite often having to endure pain in her spine and scrutiny from strangers. .
Speaking about her tumor, Ms Biddulph said: “The first time my parents noticed a lump on my back was one day in May 2003 when I was just three years old. It looked like a ball. golf under the skin, so in September of that year I had an MRI after an inconclusive X-ray and back ultrasound. The MRI showed a large mass surrounding my spine After seeing the results from the MRI, I was sent for a biopsy because they wanted to find out what the growth was but things didn’t go as planned and I ended up paralyzed from the waist down go down” .
For treatment, rods were placed into Ms Biddulph’s spine (X-ray image)
As well as being forced to face immobility, Nicole Biddulph also had to undergo grueling treatment for her fibrosis.
“I was very sick and in intensive care. All I remember about being in the hospital was constantly having to be treated. The chemotherapy was really strong and intense, it damaged the immune system mine and I lost my hair. Radiation therapy was also quite uncomfortable because I had to lie on a hard surface for quite a long time during each session. I was constantly sick and couldn’t keep anything down, so I having to eat through the nose. The feeling of it going through the nose and into the stomach is the worst thing ,” she said.
Nicole Biddulph was constantly sick and couldn’t keep anything down, so she had to eat through her nose.
Although extremely uncomfortable, the treatment worked. A few years later, Nicole was told she was cancer-free. Although it was a relief to no longer be fighting this dangerous disease, Nicole Biddulph remained immobile.
“Once the tumor was gone, I had to learn to be independent without being able to walk. I walked into the hospital but could never step out again ,” she confided.
Nicole had an rod placed in her spine at a young age and this caused her to develop scoliosis. To this day, she still sometimes has back pain, which is quite painful and uncomfortable because it feels like a shooting pain up her spine and into her neck. It also makes her hips tense and so she sometimes feels uncomfortable when sitting and balancing.
Photo of scoliosis (seen right) and Nicole Biddulph (pictured left as a child) with “tight hips”, which made sitting uncomfortable and caused her spine pain.
Since having surgery to straighten her spine and pelvis, Ms Biddulph has experienced less pain. And from then on, she was also determined not to let herself win.
“I always try to maintain a positive outlook in life because otherwise I would never get anywhere. If you spend all your time worrying about whether you will succeed, then you will never worked out. My motto in life was just get out there and live your dreams. Most of the kids I met at the hospital back then, who went through the same things I did, couldn’t do it. So I feel very grateful that I’m even still alive ,” Nicole expressed.
Nicole felt very grateful that she was even still alive.
Miss Biddulph didn’t even notice the cruel looks from strangers.
“There are always people in public who will stare, but I just tell myself they’re curious. If people continue to stare then I’ll say to them ‘do you want to take a picture of me?’ . And if they continue any longer, I say ‘I’ll even sign an autograph for you if you want’. I just try to laugh about these things because no one deserves to be offended by comments or appearances .
I want to let other people with disabilities know that it doesn’t hold you back. If you want to achieve something, it may take longer to succeed, or you may need to find an alternative method, but you can do it. I hope that I am living proof that you can be successful and stay positive no matter what life throws at you ,” she said.
What is Fibrosarcoma?
Fibrosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that affects cells called fibroblasts. Fibroblasts are responsible for creating fibrous tissue found throughout the body. The cells are called histiocytes or fibrocytes. There are many different types of fibrosarcoma. Fibrosarcomas can develop in any part of the body. But they are most commonly seen in the arms or legs or pelvis.
Fibrosarcoma is associated with the genetic conditions Gardner syndrome, Li-Fraumeni syndrome and retinoblastoma, as well as chemical exposure and radiation therapy for previous cancers.
The first common symptom of this tumor is pain. If the limbs are affected, the patient may also experience swelling, pain, and lumps.
Diagnosis needs to be done in a hospital and may involve X-rays, blood tests, biopsies, or MRI or CT scans.
Once diagnosed, treatment is usually surgery, however, the tumor can be difficult to remove depending on its location.
Chemotherapy can help shrink the tumor for less invasive surgery, while radiation therapy is often given afterward to kill any remaining cancer cells.
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