Edinburgh mother survives cancer and takes on skydiving challenge for Teenage Cancer Trust

Diagnosed during lockdown the brave mum-of-two said she knew she had to fight for her sons.

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When 23-year-old Tianna Campbell was diagnosed with cancer on April 1, 2020 she asked her consultant: “Is this an April Fools?”

But the next year of the Gilmerton mother's life was far from a practical joke.

Tianna Campbell was 23 when she found out she had cancer.

Miss Campbell underwent six rounds of chemotherapy and 15 courses of radiotherapy at the Western General Hospital to fight against a 12cm tumour growing behind her breast bone.

As a young and healthy 23-year-old, Miss Campbell had to fight “extremely hard” to prove there was something seriously wrong.

“I had to fight and fight with the doctors,” she said. “I told them that something wasn't right with my body as I was struggling to breath most days but the doctors kept saying it was asthma and giving me new inhalers.

“They finally sent me for a CT scan and the next day they phoned saying they had found a tumour behind my chest bone. A biopsy confirmed it was cancer.”

The mother-of-two said her two children Riley, four and Logan, two, were her reason to keep fighting.

After receiving this devastating news Miss Campbell said her first thoughts were: “I am going to die” and “I am going to lose my hair”.

But the resilient single mother immediately started fighting against these negative thoughts, motivated by her love for her two children Riley, four and Logan, two.

She said: “Hearing that I had cancer was a very scary experience because when people hear the C word they automatically think death.

“My first thought was death but also my hair because it was so long. I knew within that day of hearing 'you have cancer' that I had to fight with all I had especially for my two sons because I wanted to see them grow up.”

Miss Campbell officially went into remission in December 4, 2020.

After eight months of treatment the mother-of-two finally went into remission on December 4, 2020.

“I was driving when my consultant phoned me and I thought it was going to be bad news,” said Miss Campbell. “I was told I was in the clear, I held it together until I was off the phone and then burst into tears.

“I phoned my best friend and said I had another chance at life, it was a massive relief.”

The Teenage Cancer Trust has been supporting the family since diagnosis and Miss Campbell said the charity has: “helped me through my cancer journey”.

Miss Campbell is now raising cash for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

“The Teenage Cancer Trust has helped me emotionally and financially. They have also helped explain to my boys what I was going through.”

Determined to pay back the charity for its kindness Miss Campbell is raising cash to donate.

She said: “I want to give back to the nurses and charity that helped me which is why I have decided I am going to skydive 10,000 feet.

“It’s something I have always wanted to do but I didn’t want to just do it for myself, I’d rather help raise money.”

Lockdown rules permitting Miss Campbell will jump from a helicopter on June 5, 2021 with her two boys cheering her on from the ground.

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