Demi Jones walked into a room to see a consultant, and had no idea how much his words would change her life.
Covid regulations meant she was alone and only 22 when she dropped the bomb that she had cancer in her neck and would have to cut it out.
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When her world collapsed, surgeon Costa Repanos was there for her and provided the emotional support she would have had from friends and family before the pandemic.
Now, in an exclusive chat with The Sun, the 23-year-old Demi says that NHS “became superheroes” like a family as she went through her treatment.
Meanwhile, they praised her as a lifesaver after her public journey with the brutal disease forced more than 100 people to come forward – including Hollyoaks actress Abi Phillips – to have their bumps checked.
Demi nominates her health heroes for our Who Cares Profit Awards, and encourages readers to do the same.
Nominate your NHS hero here
Demi says: “I can never do enough to thank Mr Repanos for saving my life, cutting cancer out of me and leaving me with this beautiful scar that I am proud to show.
“I cannot thank the NHS enough for their kindness and warmth during one of the most frightening times of my life.
“Because I was diagnosed and treated during the lock-up, the whole thing was extremely isolating and I could not have any of my family with me whenever I went to the hospital.
“They made me feel so at ease and comfortable, even though I went through something really traumatic.”
Demi, who teamed up with Luke Mabbott to make the end of winter Love Island in 2020, first noticed the lump when she was just 20 years old.
She turned it down at the time because she was taking her final year exams at university, and did not for a minute think it could be anything sinister.
Demi was finally diagnosed in May 2021, after having the lump examined at her mother’s urging.
She underwent surgery to remove the cancerous lump, followed by a second thyroidectomy to remove her entire thyroid gland.
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The star opened up to fans about the ordeal and admitted that her treatment made her feel “never tired”.
In December last year, she celebrated that she was “cancer-free” after a “mentally and physically difficult year”.
She said: “I will continue to be a proponent of cancer awareness and all my love and strength goes out to those who continue to fight this horrible disease.”
stepfather’s fight
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About the same time that Demi received her diagnosis, her stepfather Adrian also had a lump examined.
His was stage 4 melanoma, with a terminal prognosis.
Medici told Demi and her devastated mother Karen Adrian, 46, has only 12 months to live.
Fortunately, the family had an extra four years with Adrian, after doctors suggested him for a clinical trial.
Like Demi, Adrian was treated at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth and received a year of immunotherapy.
Demi says: “Without the NHS we would not have had all this extra time with him.
I can never do enough to thank Mr. Repanos for saving my life, cutting cancer out of me and leaving me with this beautiful scar that I am proud to show
Demi-Jones
“We were shocked to hear that they thought he was only 12 months old at first. We all locked up and went into sadness mode.
“They brought him to a clinical trial to which he responded very well, and sometimes we forget that his cancer is terminal because he looks so healthy. The care was exceptional. ”
While her stepfather makes the most of the time he has left, Demi is eternally grateful that she is now cancer free.
The reality star has calls with her surgeon every three months and will get scans every year for the next decade.
Since sharing her cancer journey, Demi has been inundated with supportive messages from people who have also gone through it, as well as fans who have checked their own bumps.
‘Superman’ Doc
Speaking about her nomination for Mr Rapanos for Best Doctor’s Award in The Sun’s Who Cares Wins Awards, she said: “I’m so excited to nominate Mr Repanos because he’s a superman.
“I am so grateful to him, he is incredibly special to me. He was the person who gave me the diagnosis and is the person I am still in contact with now.
“I feel happy that I was under his expert treatment.
“He treated me like an individual and was so compassionate, and beyond that he moves the Arctic region to raise money for terminally ill children so that their ultimate wishes can be fulfilled.”
Demi says the “little things” – such as unlimited tea and ice cream and a friendly smile – made a difference during her treatment.
We were shocked to hear that they thought my stepfather was only 12 months old at first. We all locked up and went into sad mode
Demi-Jones
She was also offered mental health counseling to deal with the diagnosis.
NHS care was extended to her mother, who was dealing with two members of her family who had been diagnosed with various forms of the disease.
Demi says: “Even if only one person goes through cancer, which is terrible, it’s like a tidal wave that affects everyone.
“The NHS gave my mother so much emotional support to handle everything. It was such a heavy burden with her husband who is really sick and then her daughter also has cancer.
“But she always had the NHS staff to turn to. It made her feel more relaxed knowing that support is just a phone call away. ”
A chance to say thank you
Demi recommends nominating your health heroes in one of our award categories as a way to thank them for their hard work.
The deadline for submitting a great doctor is July 12 and the finalists will be invited to a glamorous awards ceremony in London.
Demi says: “It is so important to nominate your own health heroes. They work around the clock.
“It is so important to praise them and make them feel good about their work, so that they get the recognition they deserve. And just to really say thank you. ”
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Increase in thyroid control
Upon hearing his nomination of Demi, Mr Repanos said: “It is really humble to realize, especially for cancer patients, the profound, life-changing effect we have on our patients’ lives.
“For such a young lady, Demi is an incredibly brave, smart and determined individual and it was a pleasure to have been involved in her care.”
Matthew Ward, ENT consultant, head and neck, thyroid and parathyroid surgeon at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, adds: “It is fantastic that Demi has been so up front in the media about her cancer diagnosis and treatment.
“I have definitely seen a number of patients in recent months who came to see us in the ENT department because they read about Demi’s journey.
“Thyroid cancer can affect many young patients, and therefore it is important that people do see a specialist if they are worried.”
The department has seen 119 more people referred for lumps in their necks than last year, which they think was helped by Demi.