Duchess Kate’s cancer nightmare has become reality for another Londoner.
What happened to the 42-year-old Princess of Wales “could happen to anyone”, a Hackney cancer patient has warned.
“Even if you’re royalty, you have access to the best medical care in the world,” Maia Kennedy, 38, told Southwest News Service. “A young, healthy woman would never think something like that would happen to her.”
In December 2023, Kennedy reported unusual nausea and changes in her bowel habits to her doctors, who initially thought they were symptoms of worsening acid reflux. However, a subsequent routine medical examination revealed that an emergency colonoscopy was required. That’s when they discovered the lump. A biopsy later revealed this to be a precancerous tumor in her colon.
Kennedy said: “I empathize with what Kate is going through. These are difficult times. I hope she doesn’t mind going out in public.” “When people talk about her, she reminds me a lot of what she’s been through.”
As widely reported, the princess’s “planned abdominal surgery” was also aimed at removing a mysterious lump from her lower body – which royal doctors later confirmed was indeed cancerous. I discovered that.
In February 2024, she had part of her colon removed and spent a week in the hospital recovering, but had to wait several more weeks to get the call with her cancer diagnosis.
The mass removed from Kennedy’s abdomen indicated stage 1 cancer. She was able to avoid her transition to chemotherapy and is currently in remission.
“I knew something was wrong, but you can’t go in expecting them to find something like that. That was a huge shock to me,” she said.
“It’s so surreal that I had cancer.”
Kennedy is currently undergoing rehabilitation to regain her strength after surgery and said she is seeking treatment to help process the trauma. “It dominated my life, but for a very short period of time.”
She hopes her story inspires others to advocate for their bodies.
“My emotions rose and fell as I listened to Katherine’s story. It made me think, ‘What if?’ What if I had left it alone, or not gotten it, or if I had gone through chemotherapy like she did?” What if I had to undergo it?”
Kennedy added: “You have to be careful about the symptoms, because this condition can happen to anyone, even members of the royal family.”
