By Amy Reast
A woman went through a similar cancer journey at the same time as Princess Kate – and warned “it can happen to anyone”.
Maia Kennedy, 38, began suffering with nausea in December 2023 and was called for an emergency colonoscopy.
Doctors found a tumour in her colon which they believed was pre-cancerous.
Maia, from Hackney, London, had surgery to remove part of her colon in a routine procedure in February 2024 – but to her shock learned it had been cancerous.
Because it was stage one, she didn’t need chemotherapy and is now in remission – but sees parallels between her experience and that of the Princess of Wales’.
Maia, who is close in age to the 42-year-old future Queen, said: “As a young healthy woman, you never think it will happen to you.
“But it can happen to anyone – even royalty, with the best medical care in the world.
“I have a lot of empathy for what Kate is going through, it’s a tough time – never mind when you’re in the public eye.
“When I heard about her surgery my thoughts went out to her – and it was a strange experience finding out my journey was similar to hers.
“With everyone talking about her, it brings up a lot of thoughts of what I’ve been through too.”
Maia first experienced nausea and a change of bowel habits in December 2023, which her GP first put down to acid reflux.
But later that month they ran some tests and she was called in for an emergency colonoscopy in January during which they found a tumour.
Maia said: “I knew something wasn’t right, but you don’t go into it expecting them to find something like that – it was a huge shock for me.”
Specialists thought Maia’s was non-cancerous originally – just as they had thought with Princess Kate’s at the time of her “planned abdominal surgery” in January.
Maia was booked in for surgery to remove part of her colon in February, and stayed in hospital a week.
She was recovering when she got a call weeks later saying a biopsy of the tumour removed in the surgery showed it had been cancerous.
Because the biopsy showed it was stage one bowel cancer, she didn’t need any chemotherapy, and is now declared cancer-free.
She said: “It all happened so quickly from December to March.
“It’s taken over my life but its been such a short period of time.
“It’s very surreal to say I had cancer.”
Maia is now seeking therapy to help her process the traumas she has experienced.
She said learning about the Princess’ cancer journey revealed many parallels to her own.
She said: “When I heard about her abdominal surgery, my thoughts went out to her.
“I thought it sounds similar to me.
“At the time they weren’t saying mine was cancer, just like they said hers wasn’t at first.”
Maia is now going through NHS physical rehabilitation sessions to build her strength back up.
While she has been left struggling emotionally, she wants to warn other people to look out for the symptoms – and not to assume it won’t happen to you.
She added: “It has been the most difficult thing I’ve had to go through.
“You need to be aware of the symptoms, because it can happen to anyone – even royalty.
“The sooner you catch it, the better.
“As a young healthy woman, you never think it will happen to you. I never thought it would.
“Hearing of Catherine’s story, my emotions were up and down – it brings up the ‘what if’ feelings.
“What if I had left it or hadn’t caught it, or had to have chemo like she did?
“I have a lot of empathy for her and what she’s going through – it’s a tough time, never mind doing it while being in the public eye.”
Maia is now fundraising for Cancer Research: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/maias-race-for-life-2076
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