When Natashia Mack noticed a tiny lump on her eyelid, she assumed it was a stubborn stye or an ordinary cyst.
But after following her instincts and pushing to have it removed, the mum-of-four was devastated to discover she had a rare form of cancer.
The 35-year-old went on to endure multiple operations and 30 rounds of gruelling head and neck radiotherapy as her entire life was put on hold.
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Now, the evidential medium is urging people to trust their guts – especially when it comes to their health.
Natashia was diagnosed with secretory carcinoma with an extremely rare mutation which had begun in a gland in her eyelid.
“I was completely caught off guard,” said Natashia.
“When my oncologist confirmed it was cancer, I was stunned.
“I felt like my life was on hold.
“It started out as a tiny little lump on my eyelid, and when it first appeared, it was very small, red and irritated,” she told Need To Know.
“As it grew, it became more and more uncomfortable, and my eye would constantly leak.
“The eyelashes on the lump grew very long very quickly, and I needed to trim them often.
“I also got terrible migraines, as well as really bad inflammation throughout my whole body.”
Natashia, who has been married to her husband Ryan for 16 years, said the ordeal took a huge toll on her family.
She was forced to stop working during treatment and relied on her family and friends to take her to appointments while Ryan, who was in college, took care of her and their children.
Natashia said: “It really scared my family and caused worry and anxiety.
“It was really hard for them to watch me go through it all.
“My husband had to take on so many responsibilities and much of the load, and he took care of me when I couldn’t care for myself.
“My kids were always so helpful and understanding, which I am so grateful for.”
Natashia, from Ontario, Canada, first noticed the lump in November 2021 and sought medical help the following month.
Doctors initially told her the lump was considered cosmetic and she would have to pay to have it removed.
After pleading with the nurse practitioner, she eventually secured a referral to a plastic surgeon, meaning her consultation and surgery were covered by insurance.
The lump was finally removed on 18 October 2022 and sent to a laboratory for testing.
But within just one week, Natashia noticed it beginning to grow back
Natashia, who is also an ordained Reverend and member of the Magnetawan First Nation, said: “The lump started growing back immediately.
“Soon after, I got my diagnosis.”
The plastic surgeon’s sample was tested, and Natashia was referred to the Northeast Cancer Centre in Sudbury.
On 22 November 2022, her oncologist confirmed it was cancer.
She underwent her first removal and reconstruction surgery in April 2023, but was told doctors were unable to remove all of the cancer, and she needed another operation the following year.
Natashia then discovered a lump in her neck which she initially believed was a swollen gland.
Tests revealed it was also cancer.
She underwent a parotidectomy to remove her parotid gland and lymph nodes.
Then another lump appeared on her eyelid, forcing her to undergo further removal and reconstruction surgery on Christmas Eve 2024.
Natashia then faced 30 rounds of head and neck radiotherapy over six weeks.
She said: “Head and neck radiation is the most painful experience I’ve ever had – worse than childbirth and surgery.
“There were 30 rounds of treatment, one on five days a week, for six weeks.
“Treatment became my full-time job.
“Within the first week, I was experiencing side effects.
“Swallowing felt like I was swallowing glass and razor blades.
“The inside of my mouth was raw.
“I completely lost my sense of taste.
“I lost a lot of hair.
“I was nauseous all the time.
“I had to exercise my swallowing muscles, or I risked losing them.
“My skin became burned and raw, and near the end, I barely had a voice.
“Steroids finally helped me feel like there was light at the end of the tunnel.”
Natashia still suffers lasting effects, including problems swallowing, dry mouth, dizzy spells and changes to her sense of taste.
She also said she has permanent jaw and nerve damage and lives with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
But she is now in the clear and hopes her experience will encourage others to push for answers if they believe something is wrong.
She added: “My case was so rare, and I think there should be more awareness around this cancer.
“Even the top cancer specialists in Toronto were at a loss and weren’t sure what the best course of treatment was because they hadn’t seen another case like mine.
“But I want more people to trust their intuition when something feels off.
“Keep trying to be heard.
“Your body speaks to you and tries to tell you when something isn’t right.
“I’m grateful to be in the clear.
“And despite everything I’ve been through, I am thriving, truly living, and not taking my time on this earth for granted.
“I have so much support and so much love around me, and I feel blessed.”
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