A newlywed mum of just 40 has been diagnosed with a terminal cancer normally seen in men nearly twice her age - and has no idea how she caught it. Emily-Jane Scandrett, from Tamworth, is fighting mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer the NHS says is mainly seen in men over 75 who used to work with asbsestos, which was banned in the UK 25 years ago.
The mother-of-two was five weeks' pregnant when she began experiencing symptoms but had to wait an agonising 17 months for the illness to be diagnosed. She said she struggled to accept what was happening to her but was being supported by two charities and told the BBC she had no idea when she had come into contact with the substance.
Over the weekend Emily-Jane completed a 26-mile fundraising hike - the Hallow 12 Parish Challenge in Worcestershire - with a second woman with the illness, pharmacist Sue Farrall, who was diagnosed in 2022 aged 56. Emily-Jane said: “I was five weeks pregnant when my symptoms first started.
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"It took a horrid 17 months for me to be diagnosed before I was given the devastating diagnosis of pleural mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is on the increase, but knowledge about the disease sadly is not.
"It has taken a while to accept this is really happening to me, especially as I am just 40, newly-married and blessed with two adorable young sons and a lovely young stepdaughter. I will be eternally thankful to two charities, Mesothelioma UK and Asbestos Support Central England, who have been a wonderful source of help and support during my journey.
"I was absolutely terrified when I received my 'terminal' diagnosis, but the support group has contributed massively towards how I'm dealing with this." Asbestos - described by Sue as the "devil's dust" - was banned in the UK in 1999 but is still present in many public buildings like schools, hospitals, leisure centres and high street stores.
"As these buildings age and deteriorate, more people will be at risk of exposure,” Sue said. "I was devastated when I was given the news. I didn’t think I fitted the demographic of mesothelioma, which is generally associated with older people or men who have knowingly worked with asbestos.
"The reality is we are all at risk of exposure." Sue used to be a keen runner, clocking up ten miles every Sunday "just for fun".
She said: "After undergoing surgery in 2023, I set myself the challenge of completing the Hallow 12 Parish Challenge. Our team is called ‘The Broken Ones’ because we’ve all gone through life-changing illnesses. But rather than focus on the past and what we can’t ever do again, we’re focusing on what we can do now.”
To follow Sue’s fundraising efforts, visit https://givestar.io/gs/the-broken-ones. To donate to Emily-Jane, visit https://givestar.io/gs/hallow-12-parish-challenge
