A mum and daughter who were both diagnosed with thyroid cancer within months of each other, have spoken out about their experience after initially being told they had other conditions. Jessica Warrington, 31, and her mother Sarah Voy, 53, faced symptoms that were wrongly attributed to the menopause and asthma by health professionals.
Jessica dealt with brain fog, mood swings, headaches, back pain, and exhaustion, which led doctors to suggest she might be entering early menopause. However, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in September 2024.
Just four months later, her mother Sarah, who had been coping with breathing issues and neck pain for years, received the same devastating diagnosis. Following neck surgery to remove their tumours, Jessica has been declared cancer-free, while Sarah is awaiting her final results.
The pair, now closer than ever, are advocating for others to seek second opinions on health matters. In an interview with PA Real Life, healthcare worker Jessica said: “It’s awful to be given this devastating news and then hear your mum has it too.
“I would’ve much preferred for me to have all the cancer and deal with it alone. My mum is my best friend, she is everything to me – going through this together, we support each other now more than ever.”
Sarah first noticed symptoms in December 2019 when she began to feel unfit and short of breath. Within a year, she found it difficult to climb stairs and consulted her GP, who prescribed an inhaler for suspected asthma.
A fleshy lump then emerged on her throat, causing difficulty swallowing, but her GP did not consider it serious. However, during a trip to Lincoln with friends, Sarah realised “something was dreadfully wrong”.
Her daughter Jessica recalled how her mother struggled to keep up during a walk, gasping for air as she crawled up a hill. In October 2022, while on holiday in Mauritius, Sarah had another alarming incident.
Despite being a confident snorkeller, she found herself unable to breathe and nearly drowned. Seeking answers, Sarah switched GPs and was promptly referred to a hospital where she was diagnosed with subglottic stenosis, a rare condition that narrows the windpipe.
Describing her mother’s experience, Jessica continued: “When her airway closes, she feels like she is being strangled”. Despite undergoing surgery, the lump in Sarah’s neck continued to grow, reaching the size of a plum.
Around this time, Jessica also started experiencing symptoms and sought medical advice. Recalling her visit to the GP, Jessica said: “The nurse said ‘everything you’re saying sounds like you have menopause’. I said ‘hopefully not as I’ve just turned 30’.”
Jessica, a mum of three children aged three, six, and nine, recounted her ordeal which began when a perceptive junior doctor suspected a thyroid issue. She said: “He did two blood tests which I will be forever grateful for.”
The results revealed abnormalities and further testing in September 2024 confirmed Jessica had thyroid cancer, and surgery followed to remove a lump from her neck. Recalling her fears, she shared: “The first question I asked was ‘am I going to die?’ as I have three children at home who need me. The thoughts race through your mind and you’re left to deal with every possible scenario.”
Merely four months on, in January, her mum Sarah faced the same distressing experience after a tumour was excised from her throat and it was verified she too had thyroid cancer. Jessica battled follicular thyroid cancer—a prevalent yet highly treatable type, while Sarah was diagnosed with thyroid microcancer.
Sarah reflected on their shared battle: “What a journey me and my girl have been on but we have had each other. I’m forever grateful for her, my family and the amazing medical staff who took me seriously and saved my life not once but possibly twice.” Jessica has been given the all-clear after undergoing surgery, while Sarah is awaiting test results to determine if her cancer has spread.
Both will bear a scar across their neck for life. Following their courageous journey and determination to get a diagnosis, they are now raising awareness of thyroid cancer and urging others with concerns to get tested. “If I could help just one person, that would mean the world,” Jessica expressed. “Doctors always told me ‘you’re too young to have cancer’ but I had cancer.”
Her mother echoed her sentiments, stating: “Cancer cares not of age or who you are. If you feel ill and know your body, and something is wrong, push to be heard. Get second opinions until you are satisfied.”
Sarah and Jessica have set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of raising £700 for the Butterfly Thyroid Cancer Trust, which supports patients with the disease.