Ever since she was 15 years old, Mya Richardson had struggled with pain on one side of her back.
Every time she went to the doctor at home in Lansing, Michigan, she was told that it was just a little “crooked hips” that were the cause.
But, in January last year, a painful lump appeared on the side.
The orb just grew bigger and bigger.
– I was always only told that I had crooked hips, but then I discovered the bullet, and it really hurt, she tells the news agency South Wales News Service (SWNS).
When Richardson went to see the doctor and showed him the bullet, he raised a full alarm.
HUGE PAIN: Mya Richardson shows off the bullet on her left flank. Photo: SWNS
sea view
Thought it was harmless
Richardson, then 20 years old, was sent to a specialist.
She only needed to pull up her sweater before the specialist spoke clearly:
This was cancer.
– It was a big shock, she tells the news agency.
After a biopsy of the ball, Richardsjon was told in September last year that the ball was a so-called spindle cell sarcoma, which is very rare.
– I just thought it was just a big cyst that could easily be removed, she says.
BULLS: Mya Richardson takes a photo of the orb after radiation. Photo: SWNS
sea view
Growing and growing
Sarcoma is a group of malignant tumors that grow from connective tissue such as soft tissue, bone, cartilage, muscle and fat, according to Large Norwegian encyclopedia.
They are divided into two main groups: bone sarcoma and soft tissue sarcoma.
Sarcomas in the body’s soft parts, such as muscles or fatty tissue, most often cause swelling.
Sound the alarm: – Dangerous
Straight to the hospital
Richardson was sent straight to the hospital, where she had to undergo four tough rounds of chemotherapy.
Then 25 rounds of radiotherapy awaited.
According to Store norske lexikon, spread of sarcomas can occur both locally, to lymph nodes that drain the primary tumor area, and via the bloodstream to the lungs and other organs.
In Mya Richardson’s case, the tumor had spread to her lungs.
– They discovered that it had spread to the lungs, but they managed to stop it, she says.
11-year-old thought hashish was candy
Must collect money
Hoping to cover the huge medical expenses, Mya Richardson’s boyfriend has set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe.
At the time of writing, over NOK 200,000 has been collected.
“Mya deserves to live a completely cancer-free life. No 20-year-old should be told they have cancer,” he writes.
In March, the ball will be operated on, and Mya Richardson is very much looking forward to it.
– The bullet is still very painful, she says.
