A woman from Stafford has spoken out after her rare cancer symptoms were initially dismissed as anxiety. Madi Foster, now 20, began experiencing breathlessness and fatigue at age 17, leading her mother Nicola to seek medical help. Despite multiple GP visits, Madi was told she was suffering from anxiety and depression.
Her condition worsened with severe back pain and excessive sweating. Eventually, she was rushed to Stafford Hospital, where scans revealed a 15cm tumour wrapped around her spleen, causing it to enlarge. A biopsy at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham confirmed adrenocortical carcinoma, a cancer so rare it affects only one in three million people in her age group.
In November 2023, Madi underwent surgery to remove the two-kilogram tumour. However, complications led to septic shock and multiple organ failure. Her mother Nicola said: 'We were told it was highly likely she wasn’t going to survive. She had to have her heart restarted three times that night.' Madi pulled through after two weeks in intensive care.
Tragically, the cancer returned in February 2024, spreading to her abdomen and liver. Doctors gave her 15 to 18 months to live. Refusing to give up, the family found specialists at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland, USA, willing to operate. Strangers donated £45,000 to fund her travel and accommodation.
Madi underwent her first surgery on 19 August to relieve pressure on her spine, with a second operation planned for 27 August to remove half her liver and tumours, followed by radiation. Despite the ordeal, Madi remains positive: 'It’s given us all hope again. My plan is to get well and study medicine, particularly oncology, to help others.'
Her mother Nicola urges others to trust their instincts: 'They didn’t presume a 20-year-old would have this diagnosis. If something feels wrong, keep pushing for answers.'
