I was shaving my legs when I felt a lump the size of a pea – three doctors told me not to worry, but then a fourth discovered something far worse…

Jade Cook was just 21 when she moved from England to Queensland and received a fatal cancer diagnosis – all after seeing three different doctors who insisted she was “perfectly healthy”.

The mother, now 34, was working as a spa therapist on cruise ships in Europe when she first noticed a pea-sized lump on her thigh while shaving her legs.

“I had it checked on board and was told to wait until I was back on land. “Then we had it checked again and the doctors thought it was just a cyst,” Jade told FEMAIL. “Several doctors said I should just leave it alone and see if it goes away.”

“None of the doctors did an ultrasound or a biopsy,” she shared. “There were no scans. They just kept poking around to see if anything would come out. “Looking back, I’m very angry about the way I was fired.”

The lump had grown to the size of a golf ball and was starting to throb when she decided to have it checked for the fourth time.

“I went to the doctor with my friend in Australia who needed to fill a prescription and begged him to do something about it. She finally decided to cut it off and send it for tests – and then it turned out it wasn't just a cyst, but a tumor that was starting to spread.”

Jade Cook was just 21 when she moved from England to Queensland and was diagnosed with a fatal cancer [pictured with her family]

Jade then had to have her breasts and the rest of her body closely monitored for signs of cancer.

“I was in a new country, didn't know anyone and a tumor was growing inside me, not knowing if it would get worse.” “The doctors told me there was a high risk of it spreading to my bones, which would have been fatal,” she said.

“If there's one message I can spread, it's to take your health seriously.” If you feel a lump or something suspicious, insist on an ultrasound or a biopsy, even if it goes against your doctor's orders. Caution is the mother of the china box.'

Jade had to wait five months for surgery – all the while fearing the cancer would spread.

Unfortunately, since doctors determined the cancer was a sarcoma, there was no explanation as to the cause.

Sarcomas are a type of cancer that can occur in various parts of the body

Scientists don't know exactly what causes most soft tissue sarcomas, but they have found some risk factors that may increase a person's chances of developing them.

Jade had to wait five months for surgery – all the while fearing the cancer would spread

“I wasn't very educated about my health, but I didn't do anything bad.” I didn't smoke, didn't drink, didn't do drugs.

“People kept telling me that I didn't need to exercise or watch my diet because I was naturally slimmer – but that's just not true.” Exercise, increasing your heart rate and being able to consume the right things, are all important. It’s important to be able to work on your own mindset.”

She began radiation therapy in October 2012 after the surgical wounds healed.

“One of the hardest physical things to endure was the radiation – it's like someone having a blowtorch on your leg – and I had it every day, Monday to Friday, for six weeks,” Jade said.

“It's like they're burning my leg and increasing the intensity during the treatment.” “At first it just felt like a sunburn, then it became more painful.”

She slept without a sleeping bag and doctors advised against bandaging her leg because the skin was so sensitive that it would simply “peel off.”

The side effects of the radiation became so severe that she was unable to walk or work for an entire month.

The side effects of the radiation became so severe that Jade was unable to walk or work for an entire month

At the time, Jade had no friends except for a woman who worked with her on the cruise ships.

“I did meet someone, but it was a bit scary for him – we had only been together for a few weeks and suddenly I had cancer.” Looking back, I can understand why he was a bit distant.

“But he introduced me to his family and they were absolutely incredible.”

“They took me under their wing, his mother and drove me to hospital appointments, his sister and brother were training to be nurses, so they offered to make me bandages to practice.”

“I met a few more friends along the way whose families cooked me dinner and invited me to hang out.”

The friends Jade made along the way became her “second family” and support system.

“I just had to stay mentally strong and persevere. Everyone kept telling me to go home, but I don't have a lot of money – I didn't have enough to retire my entire life.

“I felt like my dream of coming to Australia and starting a business would end sooner if I moved back.”

Jade ran salons for seven years before moving into e-commerce, offering online beauty therapy and beauty product courses with Brow Bible Academy

Jade had a casual job as a spa therapist to help pay for her rent and treatments while she was going through her cancer journey.

She eventually started her own business in the eyebrow industry and grew into a beauty mogul.

“I've always had a desire to open my own business and felt like it was the perfect time because there wasn't much competition. So I rented a space and after five months I was completely booked,” she said.

From there she opened her own salon, eventually employing eight staff and then opening a second salon in Cairns with 14 staff.

She operated the salons for seven years before moving into e-commerce with Brow Bible Academy, offering online courses in beauty therapy and beauty products.

In 2020, when Covid hit and millions of people were forced to leave their homes, the brand turned over $30,000 in a week.