Eleven-year-old Feride was a healthy, sociable, bubbly girl when her parents noticed a lump on the side of her face in August 2007.
After racing her to the doctor and having CT and MRI scans done, they were told the unthinkable: it was a rare form of bone cancer.
For the whole family, including Feride’s younger brother and sister, their world was turned upside down. Feride began months of chemotherapy. She underwent major surgery to remove part of her jaw, replacing her bone with a section from her hip.
Feride hated the chemo, it made her nauseous, it made her lose her hair and she felt self conscious about her appearance. “It was so horrible,” Feride would say “I don’t want to go back to hospital.”
Feride became irritable and withdrawn, saying “if only I didn’t have cancer, all I want is my normal life back.”
When Feride lost her hair, her dad Gabby and younger brother Alex both shaved their heads to support her. It helped Feride deal with what she was going through.
