An Instagram influencer named Jade “Jayda” McCann from County Wicklow, Ireland, blogged her way through cancer which has just taken her life at the age of 24.
Jade talked about her entire battle through Instagram, covering hair loss, weight gain, what it means to be and feel beautiful, and the experience of having a parent with cancer at the same time she did. She never held back, and helped a lot of other women find their voices during difficult times as well. Her cancer, a very rare type of cancer called perivascular epithelioid cell tumors or “PEComa,” was first found in her vulva, and then spread to her lungs.
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The update came through her own Instagram account, which has about 70,000 followers, “Just wanted to update you all on Jade’s situation; Jade passed away peacefully in her sleep this morning at 5:10am. We will put up a post int eh near future with more details regarding her passing but for now her family would appreciate privacy until everything is in order. Thank you all for your continued support and kindness.” Three hours later, her formal obituary was posted to her Instagram story.
Information about perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComa)
A family of rare tumors that form in the soft tissues of the stomach, intestines, lungs, female reproductive organs, and genitourinary organs, according to the National Cancer Institute. Most PEComas are benign (not cancer). They often occur in children with an inherited condition called tuberous sclerosis.
In Jade’s case, the tumors were found on her vulva, and later spread to her lungs.
Jade’s cancer journey
Jade was very open about her cancer journey from the moment it began, and shared the parts of it she found most important with all of her 70,000 followers. In a recent post, Jade talked about beauty and femininity during cancer. She posted a slide show of photos of herself that ranged from perfectly done up with make-up, hat and wig, to totally bald and visibly in treatment. “What does beauty mean to you?” she wrote alongside the post, “This is a topic I've wanted to talk about for a while now.”
“I can leave my house as either person and the funny thing is- I do get looked at and treated differently,” she continued, “But beauty is not about wigs or makeup…One thing I've learned since I gained weight, got stretch marks, lost my hair and all the rest.. is that [star] BEAUTY COMES FROM WITHIN [star] I am still kind. I am still brave. I am still generous. I am still ME & outside things don't make me who I am. My personality and my heart does.”
Similarly, she wrote about the why she was gaining weight during cancer, “I realized so many young girls concerned with my weight gain. This is mainly fluid and is from the treatment/ drugs I'm on [wailing face] But you know what? I'd rather be chunky and funky than dead”
And said that she’s proud of her body no matter what because it’s hers, “It is a little shocking where young people's minds can go when thinking about weight/ looking 'good'. LOOK LIKE YOU. Be YOU. This is me at the moment- yeah I'm a little fluffier, balder & hungrier but I am also still 100% me.”
And finally, Jade kept her followers updated on one of the hardest parts of her cancer journey: her dad is also suffering from terminal cancer. “A lot of you might not know this but Dad's cancer, although it is still prostate cancer, has now spread to his liver, lungs and central spine [crying emoji]. Prognosis wise, this means that Dad is now in the same boat as me… meaning that he is now officially terminal,” she wrote about her father’s illness.
Yet, thought the two knew there wasn’t much they could do about their cancers, they were determined to stay optimistic and explore every last possibility, “But we've got a good few tricks up our sleeves and once again, WE WILL NOT GIVE UP- there are a few treatment options available.”
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