A woman has credited Love Island after she recognised that her odd health symptoms mirrored those of one of the show’s stars.
Antonia Rubio, who was contending with facial rashes and fatigue, felt doctors were dismissing her as a “hypochondriac” and remarking that she “looked too good” to be gravely ill.
But when a lump emerged on her neck, the 25-year-old recalled how Love Island season six’s Demi Jones had experienced a similar fright before receiving a cancer diagnosis.
Antonia insisted on further investigations and was devastated to discover she had stage two thyroid cancer at just 24. After 10 months of treatment, the Jersey native is thrilled to be celebrating her cancer-free status.
She is eager to use her experience to motivate other young individuals to insist on the health care they deserve. “I think it’s so important that people in the spotlight like Demi share their experiences, because I wanted to push for more tests and knowing she did the same gave me even more courage,” Antonia said.
“Doctors were telling me that I was young and that I ‘looked too good to have cancer’ but what does cancer look like? It can be different for different people.
“I think that my age group can often be forgotten about by doctors they just think you’re young and healthy.”
Antonia’s health ordeal started in late 2020 when she began feeling increasingly unwell, leading to numerous doctor and hospital visits. It escalated one evening in November when a rash led to anaphylactic shock, resulting in a hospital stay and a diagnosis of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
She explained: “I was given an EpiPen and steroids and an appointment to see a specialist in a year’s time.”
Despite frequent medical consultations between November 2020 and February 2021, Antonia felt her concerns were being dismissed as anxiety or hypochondria, with suggestions that her student lifestyle could be contributing. “Because I was a student at the time, they asked if I smoked or drank, but I didn’t do either as I was very health conscious,” she explained.
Struggling with fatigue and poor health, Antonia contemplated deferring her university course but instead chose to continue her studies remotely from Jersey until her condition worsened, forcing her to take a break.
Back home, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and towards the end of 2021, she found a lump on her neck. Recalling Demi Jones’ similar situation, Antonia became alarmed even though doctors initially dismissed it as a slow-growing nodule.
Determined, she pushed for further tests, stating: “I didn’t take no for an answer.”
Her persistence proved life-saving as she pushed for further medical investigations. As a committed singer, she was particularly determined to get any throat problems thoroughly checked out.
Explaining her ordeal, she said: “They thought my lump was a slow-growing nodule but because I sing, I wanted it examined thoroughly and pushed for an ultrasound and biopsy.”
“I had to wait for a year because of the Covid backlog and they came back as inconclusive.”
“I’d read an article about Demi, whose ultrasound was also inconclusive, and who was only diagnosed with thyroid cancer after she paid for a private biopsy. She was 23, so around my age and, like me, she looked healthy.”
“She’d just been on Love Island for the first time, and she looked great. Her story had stuck with me, so I decided to go private for the surgery as I just knew something wasn’t right.”
April 2023 marked a crucial point when her tumour, which grew from 2cm to 4cm within a month, was surgically removed, revealing additional smaller growths behind it.
A mere week later, Antonia faced the harrowing confirmation of thyroid cancer from her doctors – more than two years after her initial requests for thorough investigations.
Recounting her feelings at the diagnosis, she shared: “I felt a mixture of emotions as no one wants to hear the words ‘you have cancer’, but I also felt relief as I had found an answer and that I was right all along that something was going on.
“The treatment was hard as it takes a while to come up with a clear plan.”
“It was physically and mentally exhausting but I kept reminding myself it was temporary and I would get through this.”
With the arrival of 2023, Antonia received life-changing news: she was cancer-free. She described the overwhelming feeling: “It didn’t feel real at the time and took some months to sink in. I was in survival mode during my treatment so once I got the all clear that’s when the hard work began.
“Recovery is hard but rewarding and I’ve used the past year to reflect and process what happened to me. Sharing my story with others and helping people going through a similar journey had been healing and therapeutic to me.”
Antonia has now joined forces with Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) to raise awareness about symptoms young people should be aware of, emphasising the need for self-advocacy. She urged: “You know your own body better than anyone, so if you’ve had symptoms for a while and you aren’t satisfied by what the doctors are telling you then please just keep persevering.”
“Ask yourself: ‘Do I feel different? Am I more tired than usual? Do I feel itchy? Have I been losing weight for no reason?'” She added from her own experience: “[In my case], I just knew that something wasn’t right.”
TCT’s research has highlighted that only 17% of 13-24 year olds are clued up on all five main cancer warning signs for their age bracket, which are: lumps, bumps and swellings, inexplicable fatigue, mole changes, persistent pain, and substantial weight fluctuation.
Louise Soanes, TCT’s chief nurse, commented: “It’s so important to know your own body to be able to spot any changes. Although cancer in young people is rare, it does happen, so it’s really important that young people know the most common signs. If you feel that something is wrong then speak to your GP.
“It might not be cancer but if you’re worried it’s important to get checked out and give the doctor as much information as possible.”