Little Jada receives star award after treatment for rare lung tumour

Natalie Harris and Rob Johnson were devastated when scans showed their little girl Jada’s suspected chest infection was actually caused by a tumour that had spread across her lungs.

She was diagnosed with a rare children’s cancer called pleuropulmonary blastoma and put into an induced coma to help her body cope with chemotherapy.

Treatment meant that she had to spend last Christmas Eve in hospital but her parents are hoping this year will be very different experience.

After major surgery and specialist radiotherapy, Jada is now well enough to attend nursery and has received a Cancer Research UK for Children and Young People Star Award.

“She’s been through such a lot, but she never stopped smiling during her chemotherapy treatment and procedures,” said mum Natalie. “She’s such a strong fighter.”

Every child nominated receives the accolade, which is backed by a host of famous faces, including celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, TV personality Dr Ranj and children’s TV favourite Mister Maker.

There is no judging panel because the charity believes every child diagnosed with cancer deserves special recognition. The awards are open to all under 18s who live in the UK and have been treated for the disease within the past five years.*

As well as a star-shaped trophy, Jada also received a £50 TK Maxx gift card, t-shirt and a certificate signed by the celebrities. Her sister Sophia, aged 12, received a certificate too.

Jada was first taken to Worcester Royal Infirmary in August 2023 after mum Natalie noticed a change in her breathing.

“We thought she was coming down with a bug or a cold,” said Natalie. “But when her breathing got worse, we took her to A&E. They didn’t think it was anything to worry about, but they did an x-ray to be sure and that’s when they found the whole of her left lung had completely collapsed. They said they didn’t know how she’d gone so long without symptoms.”

Jada was sent to Birmingham Children's Hospital where she was put into an induced coma to begin 25 weeks of chemotherapy.

Her dad Rob said: “We were expecting it to be an infection that could be treated by antibiotics so when they sat us in a room and told us she had a tumour, time stood still and we both just froze. It was a very emotional and upsetting time. Just terrifying.

“The cancer took up three quarters of her chest and it was pushing her lungs and heart over the right-hand side. We didn’t know what the outcome was going to be, but we wanted to know how we could get the most out of the time we had left with her.”

Pleuropulmonary blastoma is a type of cancer that arises in immature cells during development and affects the lung tissue. It occurs most often in babies and young children but can affect adults.

After nearly three weeks in intensive care, Jada was able to breathe unaided and, by April this year, chemotherapy had shrunk the tumour enough for surgeons to attempt to remove it.

“The first course of radiotherapy was quite intense, but she became much more resilient by the second course,” said Rob, who works as a manager at Jaguar Land Rover. “It got to the point she’d get excited about going to the hospital because she would love helping the nurses. Now says she wants to be a doctor.”

Rob and Natalie vividly recall waiting for Jada to come out of surgery. “The operation took eight hours, but it felt like a lifetime,” said Rob. “We were warned she’d need to go straight to intensive care but in fact, she went straight onto the ward and sat up. We couldn’t believe our eyes! They told us she’d be recovering in hospital for two weeks, but she did so well she was up and walking and allowed to come home after just five days.”

Despite being hopeful, tests showed the surgery hadn’t caught all of the cancer, so Jada needed to go to Manchester for 25 sessions of specialist Proton Beam Therapy in July.

“Jada coped really well with the radiotherapy and took it all in her stride,” said Rob. “As soon as she woke up from the anaesthetic each day she’d want to get up and play which was great to see.”

In November Jada was able to start nursery and is looking forward to starting primary school next year.

“Seeing her start nursery has been amazing,” said Natalie. “She’s missed out on so much through her treatment and there was a time when we didn’t think she was ever going to get better so it’s incredible to see her doing so well now.”

Jada spent last Christmas Eve in hospital as well as her third birthday in January, so the arrival of a Star Award was a real boost.

“I nominated her for a Star Award because she’s showed so much strength and courage,” said Natalie. “She was over the moon with it and wanted to show it off to everyone.”

Around 610 children and young people are diagnosed with cancer in the Midlands NHS region every year,** but research is helping to save more lives.

Cancer Research UK funds a dedicated clinical trials unit for children’s cancers at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The only one of its kind in the UK, it coordinates groundbreaking research to make innovative new treatments available to children and young people with cancer, giving them the chance to benefit from the latest discoveries.

The charity’s scientists are driving forward progress to help ensure more children and young people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer. And thanks to some of their breakthroughs, children’s cancer survival in the UK has more than doubled since the 1970s.***

But the Star Awards, and stories like Jada’s, shine a light on the unique challenges still faced by children like her.

Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the West Midlands, Paula Young, said: “A cancer diagnosis is heartbreaking at any age, but it can be especially hard for youngsters. Jada is a real star who has been through so much at such a young age and it has been an absolute privilege to be able to celebrate her courage with a Star Award.

“Cancer in children and young people is different to cancer in adults, from the types of cancer to the impact of treatment - and many may experience serious long-term side effects. That’s why we’re supporting dedicated research to find new and less toxic ways to beat this devastating disease.

“We’re urging people to nominate inspirational children like Jada for a Star Award now, so that many more can receive the acknowledgement they so richly deserve.”

Star Awards

The Star Awards are run in partnership with TK Maxx, the biggest corporate supporter of Cancer Research UK’s work into children’s and young people’s cancers. Since 2004, the retailer has raised over £45 million for vital research to improve survival.

Nominate a child for a Star Award at cruk.org/starawards