They took out 200 cancerous lumps - but I'm proud of my scars

How Saskia, 24, shared her story with millions

- By JAMES HOLT & RIA NEWMAN

A YOUNG woman who underwent major life-saving surgery to remove cancerous lumps says she was first told to meditate after complaining of chest pain to her doctor.

Saskia Clark underwent a bilateral neck dissection so that doctors could remove the 204 cancerous lymph nodes found in her body, as well as open heart surgery to remove a tumour in her chest.

The 24-year-old, from Manchester, is now embracing her new look and navigating life post-op with red scars around her neck and down her sternum.

The treatment followed a shock cancer diagnosis in August 2024 - 18 months after she first raised concerns about her health. The social media manager was in in good health, rarely drinking, never smoking and keeping active, when she started suffering chest pain.

But with a history of anxiety and struggles with fatigue, she says doctors initially thought something simple was at play, exacerbated by her long working hours. She claims she was even recommended to try several wellness activities including yoga, meditation and acupuncture, to try to ease her symptoms.

After 'countless appointments, a CT scan finally found the more sinister cause, and Saskia was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer.