A young woman from Kent is courageously ticking off items from her bucket list after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, having initially been told she was too young to have the disease.
Shanice Bennett, 26, from Sittingbourne, was first diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in May 2023 at the age of 23. Her world was shattered once more when the cancer returned and spread to her bones, lungs, and liver, becoming incurable.
A Delayed Diagnosis and a Brave Fight
Shanice discovered a lump herself but faced an uphill battle for a diagnosis. "I went to the GP and they brushed me off, telling me I was too young," she shared. It was only after she pushed for a referral, citing her aunt's history with breast cancer, that she was taken seriously.
Her initial treatment was aggressive and involved:
- Chemotherapy and radiotherapy
- A mastectomy
- Removal of all her lymph nodes
By March 2024, she had completed her treatment and was in remission. However, the relief was short-lived.
Living on Borrowed Time
Months later, Shanice began experiencing severe back pain, which she initially mistook for fatigue. "A few months after it got to the point that it was so bad I couldn't get out of bed or dress myself," she recalled. A trip to A&E resulted in the devastating news: she had stage 4 terminal cancer.
The cancer has now spread to her bones, lungs, and liver, leaving her with limited treatment options. She has also been hospitalised twice with sepsis and battles hypercalcemia, a condition causing excess calcium in the body.
Doctors have not given her a specific timeline, as each patient's response to treatment varies. It was at this point that Shanice decided to create a bucket list, vowing to live her remaining life to the fullest.
A Mission to Create Lasting Memories
Shanice is now focused on creating precious memories with her loved ones. Her remarkable journey so far includes:
- Taking her seven-year-old nephew to Disneyland Paris
- Visiting New York with her family
- Watching her mother get married in Cyprus and joining the honeymoon
- Booking a trip to Rome
Her future aspirations include a getaway to Switzerland, exploring Tokyo, and seeing Ariana Grande perform at the O2 Arena. One of her most cherished dreams is to see the new Hunger Games film, Sunrise on the Reaping, before its November 2026 release, even appealing to Lionsgate for a preview.
She has chronicled her experience on TikTok, amassing over 22,000 followers, and has launched a GoFundMe to help finance her ambitions. Any leftover funds will go towards end-of-life expenses and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Shanice's story comes amidst a growing petition to lower the age for routine mammograms to 40, which has already garnered over 15,000 signatures and could prompt a parliamentary debate.
