A woman with incurable cancer says she refuses to let it “control her life” and won’t let it stop her completing her bucket list.
Khadejah Sutherland is battling cancer, after the disease spread from her breast to her liver and stomach.
The 26-year-old’s case is incurable – but she is determined to make the most of the time she has left, and has been globe-trotting since.
She has already visited Paris, Brazil, Prague, Ibiza, Malta, Dublin, San Francisco and Vegas, with more to go.
It’s not so different from what any other young woman may be doing – but for Khadejah, it’s fuelled by the devastating news she received in February 2025 that she won’t recover.
“My new diagnosis has been incredibly hard,” Khadejah, from Birmingham, told Need To Know.
“It’s completely gut-wrenching to realise that you will never not have cancer and to realise that your life is essentially on a clock – and you can’t have all the same experiences as other people your age will have.”
The former history teacher originally discovered something was very wrong in 2022 at the age of 22.
She said: “I did not have any of the typical symptoms associated with breast cancer.
“I had put on a stone-and-a-half, and my skin was really bad – which was abnormal for me because, even as a teenager, I didn’t really have bad skin.
“That went on for about six months before I went to the doctor to try to figure out what was going on.
“My skin was consistently breaking out and became really, really dry.
“I was really slim and my eating hadn’t changed so to put on so much weight, it was very concerning.”
During testing, doctors found a cyst and sent Khadejah to have it removed, as well as take a biopsy.
Following the biopsy, Khadejah was called back to the hospital, where she was shocked to learn the true cause of her issues: stage 3 breast cancer.
She was told she would need aggressive treatment due to the advanced stage of the cancer.
She said: “When I was diagnosed, I was absolutely devastated – it felt like an out-of-body experience because it just didn’t make sense.
“How could I be 22 and have cancer?
“I was terrified.”
She underwent radiotherapy, chemotherapy and six different surgeries, including a double mastectomy, skin grafts, and egg removal.
But she responded badly to chemo, with it “shutting down” her organs and “destroying” her pancreas, giving her Type 1 diabetes.
It has also sent her into menopause.
But Khadejah sadly learned the cancer had become stage four and incurable, spreading to her liver and stomach.
Despite the gruelling treatment and the emotional toll of her diagnosis, the young woman refuses to let cancer control her life – and instead she’s determined to follow her dream of travelling the world.
Khadejah said: ”After a while, I decided that I’m not going to let it control my life.
“I do not have cancer, cancer has me.
“So I am pursuing my dream of travelling the world and I’ve set up a GoFundMe and my followers are helping me do that which I’m so grateful for.
“Travelling the world has always been on my bucket list.”
Since her diagnosis, Khadejah has visited Paris, Brazil, Prague, Ibiza, Malta, Dublin, San Francisco and Vegas.
She shares much of her journey on social media, from her diagnosis to all her trips abroad – and she’s even starting a new series on YouTube where she’ll be doing every hobby A-Z.
Khadejah said: “I do feel so blessed to be able to travel and see the world in a way that I never thought I would be able to before, but at the same time, it is heartbreaking that it is under these circumstances and I wish it wasn’t.
“Even though it’s obviously my dream to travel the world, I would rather never travel again but be cancer free then travel the world and have cancer.
“I want to see as much of the world as I can so I can feel like I truly lived and I didn’t waste any time on this earth.”
She added: “My favourite has to be Brazil.
“I’ve never been to a country like that before, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I just felt so blessed and grateful to even be there.
“It was surreal to see one of the seven wonders of the world and everyone was just so kind and so lovely, it really made me appreciate life.”
While travelling, Khadejah has to keep on top of her medical care, taking along all her medication, being regimented with taking it, and consistently monitoring her diabetes.
She also ensures to rest between activities – often meaning she has to take a day or two off from exploring due to exhaustion, joint pain or severe tightness from medication.
Khadejah added: “I know that just comes with the territory.
“I have only ever solo travelled once and every other time I do go with someone.
“My friends are really good at looking after me and checking in on me to ensure I’m feeling okay consistently and they never made me feel guilty if I have to miss things.”
She has a number of upcoming trips to look forward to, including Japan, a solo trip to Brussels, and a Wowcher mystery holiday to Morocco in June.
However, there are a couple of places still on her to-do list, including Jamaica and South Africa.
Khadejah is currently raising money to fund her travels, and has raised over £19,000 to date.
Khadejah says she plans on living her “best life”, no matter what.
She added: “It makes me sad that I am able to achieve my bucket list under the circumstances, but any time in between treatment or times that I feel a little bit better, I will always travel because the world is so beautiful and I want to be able to explore everything before I die.
“My diagnosis has impacted every part of my life and sometimes I mourn who I used to be before getting sick, but this is my new normal and I will still live my best life despite my situation.”
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