We’re living in a generation where even the youngest child is ready to take a selfie on a moment’s notice, which is not entirely a bad thing. In the past, people have discovered health issues on photographs, which many times have been life-saving. The same thing happened to actor and producer Lorna Nickson Brown whose mother noticed a lump on her neck in a selfie, which led her to visit her doctor and get it checked out. It turns out that this lump was thyroid cancer.
— lorna nickson brown (@LornaNBrown) March 1, 2017
Nickson was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2015 when she was just 26 years old. When she heard the news she was in shock because she was a perfectly healthy person. She was exhibiting a classic symptom of thyroid cancer, which was a lump on her neck. “I felt numb. I didn’t believe it because I felt so well. This isn’t what I thought cancer looked like,” she tells Indy 100.
According to the American Cancer Society, these are the signs and symptoms of thyroid cancer:
- A lump in the neck, sometimes growing quickly
- Swelling in the neck
- Pain in the front of the neck, sometimes going up to the ears
- Hoarseness or other voice changes that do not go away
- Trouble swallowing
- Trouble breathing
- A constant cough that is not due to a cold
Many times young women focus on leading a healthy lifestyle by exercising and eating right, but cancer is one of those things that can pop up at any time. In her case, a selfie helped save her life and by sharing her story she will help spread awareness about this disease and its symptoms.