A “strong, loving” 24-year-old mother has died after the ovarian cancer she was told had a ten percent chance of returning came back and became terminal. India Skinner, from Newport, died on Saturday, July 9, at the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran surrounded by her husband Jason and her family.
Speaking to WalesOnline last summer, India explained how she first started feeling pains in her left leg and pelvis while pregnant with her eldest daughter Harper. She said despite never having a CT or MRI scan she was told by doctors that she probably had a dermoid cyst.
But after living with the cancerous cyst in her pelvis for two years - during which time she’d given birth to her youngest daughter Willow - she was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma the size of a baby’s head. While the news was a shock at the time she said she was relieved the cause of her pain had been found, and she was operated on within days.
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Even though she was told the tumour would have just a ten percent chance of returning, in January 2021 India received the worst news imaginable. “I was called into a room at the hospital and the doctor asked me if I knew why I was there,” she explained last August. “I joked that I was fine as long as I didn’t have six months to live. He told me I had two to three years.”
While her world could have stopped there, India said she was determined to live life to the fullest for her girls. She continued to take them on days out, Jason gave up work to look after her and make memories as a family, and they quickly organised their wedding day for August 21, 2021.
In a desperate attempt to prolong her life India’s family remarkably raised £6,000 for specialist private treatment, but it didn’t work. Her last option following the treatment was a final round of chemotherapy, to which she had a reaction known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome which causes a painful rash all over the body, and she was put into an induced coma.
Jason’s sister Samantha Skinner said: “Amazingly she got well enough to come home to be with her family again. She never fully healed from the syndrome but she wouldn’t let that stop her doing things she set her mind to. They got to take the girls on their first holiday abroad and made amazing memories.
“They came home to celebrate Harper’s fourth birthday. But sadly two weeks later the blisters caused by the syndrome started to flare up and India was in a lot of pain.
“The decision was made for India to return to hospital. Then we received the news that India’s condition had deteriorated, so the plan was to get her home to spend the time she had left with her girls, but sadly she passed away before that could happen.
“Our family is devastated by the loss of India. She was a strong character, and really made her mark in our family.
“Jason has been left shattered by the loss of India. She was his best friend and first love, but he is being so incredibly strong for the girls.
“The girls are still too young to truly understand what has happened to their mummy. But we will always have memories to share with them so they never forget who she was and how much she loved them.”
Describing the day of their marriage, Samantha said: “The sun came out just in time for India to leave her mother’s home. She looked absolutely stunning and as she left she was greeted by neighbours and well wishers. It really was a magical day filled with laughter and happy tears that will never be forgotten.
“What can I say about India? She was loud, bubbly and always up for a laugh. She was never one to miss out on a family gathering, especially if there was mention of food or her favourite dessert - cheesecake. She loved her girls and gave them everything she had.
“India has taught us that tomorrow is never promised, to live every day to its fullest, to love, laugh, and forgive. Her legacy is to make sure her girls grow up to be the strongest independent women.”
India’s family have set up a fundraising page in the hope they can “give her the send off she deserves”, which you can see here. “It’s been truly moving the amount of love and support that has been shown to Jason, the girls, and both families,” Samantha added. “We’d like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts.”
Asked how her prognosis had changed her outlook on life last year, India said: “I look at the world differently now. I could never hate anyone. I used to say I couldn’t stand people, and I regret saying that. I’d never say that now, or feel that way about anyone. Life is too short to have those feelings.”
She emphasised the importance of getting checked, and to press doctors if you feel something is wrong. “Keep complaining, keep going to the doctors, and keep telling them what you feel is wrong,” she said. “My original diagnosis was a cyst. I’ve had to fight for years for my cancer to be recognised.”
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