Teen model noticed one symptom on Spain holiday before devastating diagnosis

A 13-year-old girl on holiday in Spain who thought she had cold symptoms was shocked to discover she had a rare form of cancer.

Billie Williams had just started professionally modelling before going on the family holiday, where she noticed a lump under her arm in July 2022. The teenager had already displayed signs of a lingering cold, including a cough, and so assumed the lump was another indication of being slightly under the weather, such as raised lymph nodes.

But, as time went on, the lump grew bigger and, after undergoing scans, Billie and her parents were startled at the results. The 13-year-old girl had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system.

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"It was so surreal,” Billie admitted, adding, “Even though I thought it could be cancer, I was still shocked when I heard the news. I thought: ‘No way’...We all cried.”

Neither the girl nor her family were aware of any health issues before discovering the lump while on holiday.

“I noticed it while I was in an inflatable ring, as the lump was rubbing against it, and it felt sore," Billie recounted.

“I then spotted a couple more lumps in my neck. We assumed that my lymph nodes were raised as I’d had Covid and a cold, but in the back of my mind, I did wonder if it could be cancer.

“We came home, and I didn’t go to the doctors straight away as I assumed that the lumps would go down by themselves. My cough was lingering, and I was struggling to sleep lying down.”

Billie and her mum, Emma, visited the GP after returning to the UK and were advised to return if the lymph nodes were still swollen in a month.

The growth would continue to swell and become so painful that it would leave the teenager in tears. Further examinations resulted in a hospital referral, where more tests and a chest X-ray would be carried out.

These uncovered a mass pressing on Billie's windpipe, though the youngster had chosen not to be present in the room when the results were shared with her parents.

“When I was told Billie had cancer, I felt numb and couldn't believe what I was hearing," explained mum Emma, adding I felt like my whole world just fell apart.

“I felt sick and was shaking. Billie wasn't in the room with me at this point, and the consultant decided not to tell Billie just yet, but to tell her that she had to go for further tests.

“I know she knew that there was something not quite right. It absolutely devastated me.”

After the devastating news, Billie was referred to the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at the hospital and has been supported by the charity ever since.

A biopsy of the lump was taken, and her chemotherapy started a week later, in September 2022, less than two months after setting off on her family holiday without realising her condition.

Initial treatments did not go smoothly, with Billie reacting badly to the medication and having to remain in hospital for a week and being tube-fed.

The teenager described: “I felt really lethargic, lost a lot of weight and needed a wheelchair.”

Blood transfusions put Billie back on track, followed by four rounds of chemotherapy as scans showed the cancer remained.

"Watching Billie go through chemotherapy was heartbreaking," Emma said, “I myself couldn't eat and lost about one stone with worry.

“I just couldn't believe what was happening. It all happened so quickly. My poor girl, at the age of 13, was diagnosed with cancer.”

However, a late December 2022 scan revealed the cancer had gone, and Billie was cleared to spend Christmas at home. She was eventually allowed to return to school in September 2024, where her classmates had learned of her battle.

Despite knowing what Billie had had to endure, some students still made comments about her changed appearance, due to the treatment, which led the girl to opt for homeschooling for a period.

“Because I’d lost so much weight and lost some of my hair, I struggled to look in the mirror without thinking: ‘Who is this person?’ I didn’t recognise myself," Billie admitted, though she would later return to a healthy weight and felt well enough to return to school.

“Cancer helped me realise that small things that I used to worry about weren’t that deep and not a big deal.

“It also made me grateful for small things, like being able to have a shower or a bath, because I struggled to do that during treatment due to the risk of getting an infection because of my Hickman line.

“I struggled to go to the shops during treatment, so I appreciate small things like that, and bigger things like being able to eat and drink properly.”

Billie has also returned to modelling, applying to be Miss Teen Great Britain, after initially beginning the venture aged 11, and will compete in the competition finals, held in Blackpool, next month.

“It feels surreal being in the finals of Miss Teen Great Britain. It shows you can get through the worst and still do amazing things.

“It also feels amazing that I'm able to inspire other young girls to chase their dreams while also recognising their self-worth and the importance of all of the things you can achieve.

“The number one piece of advice that I would give people with cancer about their appearance would be to have confidence in yourself.

“You’ll get back to how you were eventually, even if you feel right now that it could be forever away. The illness doesn't make you any less beautiful.”