A woman has revealed her heartbreaking battle with cancer after she ignored the warning signs – and says it’s something she will live with for life.
Mariana Tata used to live a rather “carefree” life.
The 27-year-old, despite being significantly anaemic, felt as though “nothing could go wrong” and that she’d always remain healthy.
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But when her stomach began to bloat unusually, coupled with blood in the toilet, she sought out advice.
And after racking up thousands in medical bills, it was found she had stage four colon cancer.
“I felt detached, as though I were outside my body,” the enrolment operations assistant told Need To Know.
“I was terrified and repeatedly thought that it couldn’t be real.
“I struggled to accept the diagnosis and wished the entire situation would simply disappear.
“At one point, I blamed myself, wondering whether I could have prevented it if I had paid close attention to my body.
“But my greatest fear was that I was going to die.”
Mariana, from New York, US, had no other symptoms prior to the bloating; aside from the aforementioned diagnosis with anaemia.
In March 2023, she entered into a happy and stable relationship; but a year later, her stomach grew, which she put down to piling on a bit of weight.
When her abdomen became larger, though, and her appetite decreased, it marked the beginning of her lifelong nightmare.
She said: “Even after consuming a small amount of food, I was persistently full.
“It resembled the type of bloating I get during my period.
“I thought it was either that or I was constipated.
“Then, I started experiencing blood in my stool and severe anaemia.
“I didn’t consider this alarming, though.
“It wasn’t until it got more frequent that I became concerned.
“I thought it was maybe haemorrhoids or a gastrointestinal disease.
“As a result, I was frequently absent from work.”
In May 2025, Mariana had a series of blood work, an abdominal ultrasound and a stool sample carried out.
Mariana’s scar. (Picture: Jam Press)
The last thing she expected was colon cancer.
But a seven-inch mass on her ovaries suggested otherwise – and the reality was made clear.
Mariana said: “Being told I had stage four cancer was overwhelming and frightening.
“I felt helpless, hopeless and feared I would never live a normal life again.”
Sadly, in a bid to save her life, she had no other choice but to undergo emergency surgery.
This involved removing both ovaries; forcing her to no longer be able to have children of her own.
She also underwent a bowel resection, along with biweekly chemotherapy sessions, which she is still having.
Mariana said: “I was deeply upset for some time.
“But I was also grateful the tumour had been removed.
“I still struggle with the reality that I won’t be able to have children biologically.”
Currently, her condition is deemed stable; though it’s likely she will indefinitely live with cancer.
Mariana may need to undergo more surgery to further remove all remaining traces of the disease in the future.
For now, she’s thankful it has stopped spreading and is looking toward the next few years with hope.
She added: “Being diagnosed with cancer has profoundly changed my life and who I am as a person.
“It’s forced me to reevaluate my priorities and how I wish to spend the remainder of my life.
“At one time, I envisioned becoming a mum; however, that is no longer possible.
“The financial burden remains significant, especially as I’m unable to work.
“Each day presents different emotional challenges.
“At times, it’s hard to accept that this is my reality.
“I sometimes wish it was a nightmare I could wake up from.
“I live with fear every day; though I choose not to let it define me.
“My hope for the future is to simply be here – to watch my nieces and nephews grow up, to get married and to live a long, meaningful life.
“Don’t wait for symptoms to worsen.
“If something feels wrong, see your doctor.
“This is not solely a disease of the older generations; increasing numbers of young people are being diagnosed.
“You know your body better than anyone – listen to it.”
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