Teenager Maliyah Hobbs’ life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer typically found in older men. Maliyah was just 17 when she began to lose weight quickly.
She was then left fearing for her life after being told it was stage 4 of an aggressive cancer. She said: “I thought I was going to die.
“When they said stage 4, I knew it was serious. Then, they told me the chemotherapy would leave me infertile, and it crushed me. I had always dreamed of being a mum.”
Her ordeal began last year with rapid weight loss, severe abdominal and bladder pain, constipation, and night sweats, but obtaining a diagnosis proved to be a struggle.
“Doctors in my hometown didn’t know what was wrong with me,” she explained. “I begged my primary care doctor for a referral to a gynaecologist, but he refused. Instead, he sent me to a liver specialist because of my bloodwork. And thank God he did. I call that doctor my saving grace.”
Luckily, the liver specialist suspected something was seriously wrong and referred Maliyah to a gynaecologist the same day, who promptly performed an ultrasound and urged her to go to the hospital. However, even there, she was initially dismissed, only to receive a phone call shortly after, reports Bristol Live.
“They told me my abdomen was full of blood and ascites,” she said. “They sent me home, but on the way, I got a call. A more experienced radiologist had read my report and thought I might have ovarian cancer.”
A biopsy confirmed that she had cancer, and she was quickly put on treatment for ovarian cancer. Maliyah recounted: “I was given paclitaxel, a really strong chemo,” adding, “The side effects were awful. Then, a few weeks later, they called to say it wasn’t ovarian cancer after all. It was peritoneal mesothelioma. And no one could believe it.”
Peritoneal mesothelioma, an exceptionally rare cancer usually linked with asbestos exposure. It is almost unknown in young women.
“I knew it was an old man’s cancer. I’d seen the commercials about asbestos. I thought, ‘How did I get this at 17?’, she said.”
She discovered a shocking potential cause: baby powder she’d used for years could have been tainted with asbestos. Already battling stage 4 cancer and told by doctors there wasn’t much they could do besides managing her pain, she felt her life slipping away.
She said: “When the doctors told me there wasn’t much more they could do except manage my pain, I was devastated. I truly believed I was going to die.”
Chemotherapy wreaked havoc on her body and mind but was unsuccessful. “IV chemo was horrible,” she recounted. “I lost my hair, I gained weight, and I felt weak all the time. It took a toll on my mental health, too. I didn’t even recognise myself in the mirror.”
By October, her condition worsened, pushing her to abandon IV chemo and to take matters into her own hands. “I found out that another 17-year-old had success with an ALK directed therapy,” Maliyah says. “I asked my oncologist about it, and she didn’t hesitate to start me on it.”
Maliyah, who was placed on Lorbrena, an ALK inhibitor, experienced a life-changing moment within a month of treatment. “I got a call from my oncologist while sitting in my living room,” she recalls.
“I was terrified to answer, but I did. He told me my cancer was gone. I felt this incredible warmth and chills all over my body. I knew in that moment it was a miracle.”
Despite her remarkable recovery, Maliyah faces further challenges, including a full hysterectomy and HIPEC surgery scheduled for March as a precautionary measure. “The hardest part is knowing I won’t be able to have kids,” she admits.
“That dream was taken from me. But I’m grateful to be here. Last month, I was on my deathbed, but God made a way.”
Throughout her ordeal, Maliyah’s unwavering faith and the support of her loved ones were her pillars of strength. “My mum never left my side,” she shares.
“She slept in a recliner while I was on the sofa, just in case I needed help. My aunt Melinda, and my family – Brooke, Tiffany, and Argie – took me to appointments and prayed for me.”
Now in remission, Maliyah is embracing life with a newfound appreciation. “Surviving cancer makes you see life differently,” she reflects.
“It’s precious. It’s a gift. My message to anyone going through this is simple: doctors don’t have the last say. Never lose hope.”