Emergency responder in remission after rare cancer diagnosis

A Scottish Ambulance Service trainee Technician who was diagnosed with a rare type of blood cancer at the age of 21 has raised more than £17,000 for charity.

Kayla Esson, based at Banff Ambulance Station, now aged 22, said doctors discovered a 12cm x 9cm tumour in her chest which turned out to be primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma, a rare type of blood cancer that develops behind the breastbone and between the lungs.

After receiving treatment over the past several months, she is now in remission.

Speaking of her shock diagnosis, Kayla, who has been with the Service one year, said started experiencing symptoms in February, including “moments where I felt like I couldn’t breathe properly”.

Kayla, whose dad has been a Technician at Buckie for more than 30 years, added: “One night I ended up in A&E because it was so bad. At the time, it looked like an allergic reaction, and the doctors thought that was the cause. My blood tests came back completely normal, so nothing suggested anything more serious.

“But one doctor decided to send me for a chest X-ray, and that’s when everything changed. They found a mass and sent me for an MRI. The results showed that the tumour was pressing on my vena cava — the main blood vessel that carries blood back to the heart. That explained why my face was swollen and why I felt so breathless.”

She then said she was blue lighted immediately to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. On arrival, she was surrounded by doctors “running all sorts of tests”.
She added: “That was the moment reality sank in. I remember feeling terrified, not knowing what was going to happen to me.”

It was March 4 when she was officially diagnosed with lymphoma. She was immediately placed on chemotherapy, with six cycles in total, given every two weeks.

She added: “Because the tumour was so big, I stayed in hospital for 12 days after my first dose so the team could keep a close eye on me. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, and I was able to continue the rest of my treatment as an outpatient in Aberdeen.”

As she was going through her treatment, she was determined to do something positive. This is when she started fundraising for teenage cancer trust and blood cancer UK

She said: “Not just to keep myself busy, but also to give back to those who were helping me through the hardest time of my life.

"So far, I’ve managed to raise over £17,000, and I’m determined to keep raising awareness. Cancer is something no young person should have to face alone — and with the right support, none of us have to.”

The money was raised through a Ladies’ Day at the Fisherman’s Hall, Buckie,  attended by a number of Kayla’s SAS colleagues.