A young single mother has been diagnosed with stage four cancer at just 33, after suffering debilitating symptoms for more than a year.
Danika Meade, from Ballarat in regional Victoria, is now undergoing intensive treatment following a shock diagnosis she believes may have been prevented if she had been able to push for further testing sooner.
For personal reasons, Danika has chosen to keep the specific type of her cancer private, but has confirmed it does run in her family.
However, her sister and ‘best friend’, Mikayla, has spoken out in the hope Danika’s experience will encourage other women to keep pushing for answers when something feels wrong.
More than a year before her November diagnosis, Mikayla said the mother-of-one had been dealing with persistent stomach pain, ongoing exhaustion and widespread aches throughout her body.
‘Looking back, she wishes she had trusted her instincts sooner,’ Mikayla told Daily Mail.
‘For a long time, she didn’t feel like her concerns were fully explored and only blood tests were done.’
The turning point came in October, a month before her official diagnosis, when Danika’s pain became so severe she insisted on further investigations.
Single mother Danika Meade, has been diagnosed with stage four cancer at just 33, after suffering debilitating symptoms for more than a year. Pictured: Danika her thre-year-old son Alexander
With doctors suspecting gallstones, an ultrasound and MRI were ordered to rule out other possibilities.
On November 19, life still felt normal – but just 24 hours later, a call from her doctor turned everything upside down after scans revealed widespread concerns.
‘They told her to come back in immediately with a support person, so we knew it was bad,’ Mikayla said.
The results revealed lesions throughout her body, with specialists fearing the worst – cancer.
Before her diagnosis, Danika was juggling work, motherhood and building her future in her close-knit hometown of Ballarat.
She balanced shifts at Bunnings and modelling work while also working as a talented hairdresser – a trade she’s had since she was 16 – and was even in the process of opening her own home salon.
But those dreams were abruptly put on hold after she was admitted urgently for surgery, which later confirmed a stage four diagnosis, with even more lesions than doctors had initially feared.
‘All she could think about in that moment was how she was going to care for her three-year-old son, Alexander,’ Mikayla said.
She is now undergoing intensive treatment following a shock diagnosis she believes may have been prevented if she had been able to push for further testing sooner
More than a year before her November diagnosis, Mikayla said the mother-of-one had been dealing with persistent stomach pain, ongoing exhaustion and widespread aches throughout her body. Pictured: Danika receiving chemotherapy treatment
‘It’s just the two of them, and she does it all.’
In the weeks that followed, Danika underwent another invasive surgery and has since begun rounds of gruelling chemotherapy in an effort to shrink the cancer throughout her body.
At this point, there’s no clear end in sight with doctors saying she’ll need chemotherapy every two weeks indefinitely.
Some of her most confronting and unexpected side effects have been peripheral neuropathy, a condition causing loss of sensation in her hands and fingers, along with severe brain fog.
And while it is still early in her treatment, Danika and her family have been given a glimmer of hope, with initial blood markers showing early decreases.
Before her diagnosis, Danika balanced shifts at Bunnings and modelling work while also working as a talented hairdresser – a trade she’s had since she was 16 – and was even in the process of opening her own home salon
‘We haven’t had more scans yet, but the markers have gone down which is definitely a good sign,’ Mikayla said.
She added that Danika is also pursuing additional therapies alongside her hospital treatments to give her a fighting chance.
‘She’s currently undergoing high-dose vitamin C infusions in Melbourne as well as oxygen therapy, and we’re trying to get her to Sydney to explore a procedure called cryoablation too, but it all costs money,’ she said.
Cryoablation is a treatment that uses extreme cold to freeze and destroy diseased tissue, such as tumours, and is a less invasive alternative for patients who are unable to undergo major surgery.
Despite the fear and uncertainty, Danika is clinging to moments of light in her life and says she is surrounded by a strong support network of close friends and family
When asked what she dreams of now, Danika said she is focused on making the most of every day with her son and fighting to beat her diagnosis so she can return to living life fully again
It is often favoured because it can reduce pain, shorten hospital stays and limit damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Despite the fear and uncertainty, Danika is clinging to moments of light in her life and says she is surrounded by a strong support network of close friends and family.
‘Both of Alexander’s grandmothers have stepped in in a huge way to support her through this incredibly difficult time,’ Mikayla said, adding that she has also been attending some treatments alongside Danika.
However, she admits the financial burden has been tough, with costs extending well beyond medical bills, including specialist appointments, supplements, organic food and the day-to-day costs of keeping life stable for a young mother in treatment.
When asked what she dreams of now, Danika said she is focused on making the most of every day with her son and fighting to beat her diagnosis so she can return to living life fully again.
‘Just listen to your body,’ she urged.
‘If something feels off, keep asking questions, and don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion.’
