A mother of three who was given just three months to live has revealed how she proved doctors wrong and beat cancer.
Aisha McClellan of Snow Camp, North Carolina, thought her life was over when she was diagnosed with stage 2B cervical cancer.
Initially, health professionals told her it was treatable and forced her to undergo several rounds of treatment, but months later she learned the cancer had recurred and spread, leaving her fearing for her life.
After working hard and undergoing 25 doses of external radiation, the mother was shocked to discover that the cancer had returned, this time more aggressive than ever.
But the now 40-year-old refused to give up hope and fought to get other doctors to give her multiple options – one of whom even increased her survival rate.
Aisha McClellan of Snow Camp, North Carolina, thought her life was over when she was diagnosed with stage 2B cervical cancer.
Aisha said: ‘When I was diagnosed with cervical cancer, I was initially told it was very treatable.
‘I finished treatment three months later and was told I’d had a good response; the next step was to come back for a follow-up in November.’
She worked incredibly hard to get rid of the initial cervical cancer after undergoing six rounds of chemotherapy, 25 doses of external radiation, and five doses of internal radiation.
Her body responded well to the three-month treatment, but when she returned, her mother was unable to understand how she had rebounded again after previously celebrating what she thought was the end of her cancer journey.
During her cervical cancer treatment, medical staff would only scan her from the waist down as the cancer had spread to her upper body, making her feel “defeated”.
She added: “When I came back from my follow-up, I found out my cancer had spread to my lungs and liver, and they didn’t know that because they were only scanning me from the waist down.”
The mother was then given three months to live and was left furious, wondering how doctors could have let her condition get worse while wondering how she would break the news to her children.
She explained: ‘At first I was angry because I didn’t understand how this could have happened when I was under his care for all this time.
The single mother shared a small family where she relied solely on her mother as she struggled to support her children: Lia, 19, Tyler, 18, and Arianna, 17.
The mother, who lives in North Carolina, was initially told by health professionals that the cancer was treatable and was forced to undergo several rounds of treatment.
After working hard and undergoing 25 doses of external radiation, the mother was shocked to discover that the cancer had returned, this time more aggressive than ever.
‘My anger quickly turned into a sadness I had never experienced before. I was devastated. I don’t have much family and I was terrified of who would take care of my children if I died.
“The thought of leaving them made me feel inconsolable.”
Aisha was given just three months to live after learning the disease had spread to her lungs and liver.
She was allegedly told that “once the cancer spreads, there is nothing they can do to control it.”
One of her biggest concerns during her battle with cancer was her children. The single mother had a small family she could only rely on as she struggled to raise her children: Lia, 19, Tyler, 18, and Arianna, 17.
While receiving treatment, Aisha lost her job and was left without income, so she began cleaning houses alongside her mother to earn a living.
Aisha refused to give up hope and struggled to get a second opinion. She then consulted a doctor who admitted that her condition was not favorable but told her that he could recommend some options.
She was given several new rounds of treatments and added vitamins and supplements to her diet to help her feel better.
And soon, Aisha was only feeling the effects of the treatment, not the cancer.
At a follow-up scan, Aisha was ecstatic to hear the news that she had had a complete response to treatment and felt “extremely grateful” for her second chance at life.
At a follow-up scan, Aisha was ecstatic to hear the news that she had had a complete response to treatment and felt “extremely grateful” for her second chance at life.
The mother said that during her struggle she continued to think about her children.
Cervical cancer occurs when cells in the cervix grow out of control and form a tumor; it usually grows very slowly.
The mother said that during her struggle she continued to think about her children.
She said: ‘Even though I was only given three months to live, I fought very hard to try and beat the cancer so I could be here for my children.
‘My goal in life has always been to protect my children, make them happy and give them everything they want and need. I felt like I was letting them down, but that also made me fight that much harder.
“The scariest thing was not being here for my kids. I had no one to look after them if I wasn’t there and that was the thought that got me out of bed every morning and kept me going.
“I was never afraid of how cancer would affect my body, or what it would do to me personally. It was always about what it was doing to my children.”
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