Girl, 12, Who Turned Yellow, Had Itchy Skin and Night Sweats Was Told She Had ‘A Virus:’ It Turned Out Cancerous Tumors Were Crushing Her Heart

In February, Selvester had gone to the doctor to complain she had turned yellow, had itchy skin, fatigue and night sweats. Her mom, Natalie Bloxham, had also noticed unusual lumps on her neck.

"I took her to the GP as soon as I noticed [lumps in neck] and they advised it could be viral and to wait three weeks," Bloxham told The Daily Mail.

At first, the doctor told them it was a viral infection. Selvester was instructed to come back after three weeks if things hadn’t gotten better.

Doctors Blamed COVID

During that time, she came down with COVID. When the symptoms got worse, the doctors blamed it on the virus. Still, the bumps her mom had noticed didn’t disappear. While the family was told she could go for further tests, it could take three months to get them done.

"The GP said they sent it through as urgent but when I spoke to the hospital they changed it to routine and would take three months for an appointment," she said.

The family, not knowing how serious Selvester’s condition was, headed off to Greece for vacation.

“I wanted Imogen to have a good time as she hadn’t been herself for a while," said Bloxham. "When the GP called back they advised me COVID could irritate them and to wait even further. Then they referred her for a hospital appointment," said the mom.

In June, two weeks after coming back from their trip, Bloxham noticed her daughter had developed jaundice and rushed her to the hospital.

"Imogen turned yellow, had a temperature of (104) and had funny-colored urine," she said.

That’s when the tumors around her heart and windpipe were discovered. They had begun to block blood and oxygen from getting to different parts of her body.

More tests revealed the diagnosis: stage 3 cancerous Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes, according to the American Cancer Society. 

Lymphoma begins when lymphocytes develop a genetic mutation that makes them multiply much faster than normal. This mutation also forces older cells that would normally die to stay alive. From there, the quickly multiplying lymphocytes collect and build up in your lymph nodes, the small glands in your neck, armpits, and other parts of your body.

Making A Plan After Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Relapse

What Is Hodgkin Lymphoma?

There are more than 40 different types of the disease, but Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma are the main two sub-categories with the latter being much more common. The type of white blood cells linked to the disease determines the distinction. If doctors are unable to detect the Reed-Sternberg cell a giant cell derived from B lymphocytes then it is categorized as Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Lymphoma Relapses: When To Use Radiation

It’s a fairly rare disease, with only around 8,500 cases expected to be diagnosed in the U.S. this year. It’s most commonly found when a person is in their 20s and then again after age 55.

While it can occur in children, Selvester’s case is relatively rare as Hodgkin lymphoma is the most common cancer found in people found teens between 15 and 19.

Thankfully, the survival rate is relatively high, with 87 per cent of people diagnosed living for at least five more years.

High Hopes For The Future

After her diagnosis, Selvester went though five days of chemotherapy and was given steroids in an effort to shrink her tumors.

"We have been told Imogen is at high risk of infections and she has started to lose her hair," said her mother.

Because of the disease’s high survival rate, the family is feeling good about their daughter returning to health. But there is a concern for the future: the chemotherapy could make having children difficult for the young girl later in life.

A family friend has set up a crowdfunding page for the family, as Bloxham had to quit her job to take care of her daughter.

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