Car crash that saved mum's life

Tania Kemble-Smith, left, and Lindsey Holland

Tania Kemble-Smith had no idea she was suffering from a rare form of cancer until she was injured in a car crash. Mum-of-two Tania, 38, from Doncaster was diagnosed with overian germ cell cancer in July after a physio session following her accident revealed a hard swelling in her lower abdomen.

“It’s scary to think that if I hadn’t being involved in a road accident – I might never have found the cancerous lump,” said Tania. “Aside from the growth, I had experienced no other symptoms, so in a strange turn of events, the car accident may end up saving my life.” Tania, whose cancer has been graded as Stage 3 after spreading to her pelvis and bowel is currently on her final cycle of intense chemotherapy treatment at Weston Park Hospital and will undergo surgery later this year to prevent any potential reoccurrence.

She has also struck up a close friendship with two other young women with the same condition. Lindsey Holland and Caitlin Carroll were also diagnosed with ovarian germ cell cancer which affects no more than 60 women in the UK a year. At different stages throughout the year, all three women received life-saving treatment at Weston Park Hospital, the specialist hospital in the north of England to treat this form of cancer.

Caitlin, from Conisbrough, is just 18. She has now finished treatment and is awaiting her eight-week follow-up appointment. “It was so helpful to be able to talk to someone going through the same thing as me. Tania and I have laughed and cried together but overall it’s meant that neither of us has had to face our diagnosis alone,” says Caitlin, who is currently studying for her A-levels at Thomas Rotherham College in Rotherham.

Lindsey, 27, from Newark was also diagnosed with ovarian germ cell cancer in May 2016 after experiencing a pain in her side.

She was referred to Weston Park Hospital, where her diagnosis left her with concerns surrounding fertility. Lindsey, a secondary school teacher said: “It’s been incredibly hard to comprehend and adjust to my new situation.”

“Cancer wasn’t part of any of our plans this year and it really does hit you like a tidal wave. I’m still looking at my fertility options while having chemotherapy treatment but it definitely puts everything into perspective.”

FACT FILE Ovarian germ cell cancer occurs when the cells which develop into sperm and eggs mutate and form cancerous tumours. Ovarian germ cell cancers are very rare and account for only about one or two per cent of cancers of the ovary and are most common in teenagers or young women, although they can also occur in women in their 60s. Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield is the specialist hospital in the north to treat this form of cancer.