Woman, 24, left unable to move her head after mistaking cancer symptoms for grief over dead pet

A 24-year-old woman was forced to rush to hospital when she began experiencing bizarre symptoms that left her unable to move her head, but she initially dismissed her experiences as grief over her pet guinea pig.

It was March 2025, when Maia Henderson-Roe first noticed a lump in her neck, which was 'a little smaller' than a golf ball, but the 24-year-old didn't think much of it at the time.

Having 'always' had overreactive lymph nodes when she's stressed or feeling under the weather, Maia assumed the lump was the result of her being upset over the sudden death of one of her guinea pigs.

"I started feeling really cold and having a bit of tiredness," she recalled, but noted: "I just lost my pet so I put it all down to that. In April, I noticed where I had the lump originally there were now three."

Maia said she'd previously had overactive lymph nodes (Kennedy News and Media)

Wanting to reassure herself there was nothing more sinister going on, Maia went to the doctors to have lumps checked. She was asked if she'd experienced weight loss or night sweats, and when Maia said 'no' she was told there wasn't 'anything to worry about'.

However, just a few weeks later, Maia's health took another turn.

"I went away with my partner in May and I was starting to fall asleep in public places which is very out of character for me but I didn't think too much of it," she said. "My family picked up on the fact I was quite cold in the summer and wearing cardigans and in July my neck swelled up drastically and I couldn't move my head properly."

Maia, who was also experiencing 'a lot of itchy skin', went to the Urgent Treatment Centre, where she underwent an x-ray and had some bloods taken - but doctors couldn't see anything wrong.

She was referred to an ear, nose and throat doctor, saying: "I was told I have nothing to worry about. He said it could be an infection but he said he was confident it couldn't be cancer."

By this time, Maia couldn't even drive because she couldn't turn her head. When she went in for an ultrasound, the doctor found 'lumps everywhere'.

Maia has had to undergo different types of chemotherapy (Kennedy News and Media)

"I was told I had Classical Hodgkin's Lymphoma," she said. The disease affects the white blood cells which can help you fight infection.

"I've heard of this happening before and I wasn't too surprised it took a bit of pushing," Maia continued, noting she doesn't drink or smoke; she has a good diet and exercises regularly. "A lot of people don't expect the young healthy people to get cancer but obviously they do.

"I was upset that I was told confidently that I didn't have cancer. Doctors make mistakes and I understand, it was more because I was reassured, I was fine. That was really not the case."

Following her diagnosis of Stage 2 Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Maia underwent six different types of chemotherapy and had infusions four times a fortnight.

She recalled: "Looking at pictures of me now my neck was bigger but because it happened so gradually I didn't notice."

Maia has now completed her last cycle of chemotherapy, and is awaiting a scan to monitor her progress.

Maia's mom has also started a GoFundMe page to help support her daughter, which you can donate to here.