Student, 21, is diagnosed with cancer just weeks after celebrating her birthday and getting engaged - and she had BARELY any symptoms
A university student who watched her boyfriend get down on one knee to propose on her 21st birthday is diagnosed with cancer weeks later after discovering a lump in her neck the month before.
Isabella Mallia, a psychology student from Geelong, south-west of Melbourne, first noticed the lump at the end of April but just thought her neck may have been swollen because she'd recently been sick.
She saw a doctor after her birthday on May 22 and had her blood tested only for the results to come back abnormal.
Ms Mallia was then given the life changing news that she had developed Hodgkin Lymphoma - a type of cancer in the blood - in June.
She is now preparing to start chemotherapy and has shared her story in the hopes that others will get checked no matter how small their symptoms may be.
Isabella Mallia had turned 21, recently became engaged to her boyfriend and was planning to buy her forever home when she discovered a lump in her neck that would quickly change her life forever
On Ms Mallia's 21st birthday her boyfriend Nathan proposed. The pair were trying to buy their forever home when she was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma
'I had none of the typical symptoms of Hodgkin Lymphoma other than fatigue,' Ms Mallia told Daily Mail Australia.
'When you're this young nobody immediately jumps to cancer.'
Symptoms can often include fevers and sweats, severe itching and unexplained weight loss but Ms Mallia said the only change she noticed was feeling more tired than normal.
When she initially saw a nurse about the lump in her neck she wasn't alarmed and was told it could have likely been a swollen lymph node and it was possible she just had a viral infection.
'I had some fatigue but I was working, studying, planning my 21st and house hunting so I just put it down to that,' she said.
'Obviously it's very shocking, me and my partner had pretty big future plans we were looking for a house and were ready to start our lives and plan our wedding, now none of that is certain.'
The university student was told she would have between one to two years left to live if she didn't start treatment immediately.
The psychology student from Geelong, south-west of Melbourne, first noticed the lump at the end of April but just thought her neck may have been swollen because she'd recently been sick
The young psychology student will start her first round of chemotherapy on Wednesday
WHAT IS HODGKIN LYMPHOMA?
Hodgkin Lymphoma is a cancer in the blood and lymphatic system
Symptoms include loss of weight, fevers, sweats, itchiness and fatigue
The disease is treatable and often involves chemotherapy
The cancer can spread aggressively and rapidly through the body
It's common in people aged between 15 and 30 as well as those over 55-years-old
Ms Mallia said she now suffers shortness of breath due to the countless lumps that have grown around her neck, esophagus, throat, sternum, heart and diaphragm.
She's moved back home with her family so she can be cared for while undergoing treatment with her first of two rounds of chemotherapy to start next week.
But before her treatment could begin Ms Mallia underwent IVF so she could freeze her eggs to ensure she could start a family later in life.
In one positive, Ms Mallia was told she has a higher than average egg count which should make it easier for her to get pregnant in the future.
She's now preparing for her first round of chemo which will begin on Wednesday.
'There's really nothing that can prepare you for the emotional stress it takes for you to walk in to a chemotherapy room,' she said.
'But I'm so ready to start treatment and fight this thing and be done and walk out the other side.'
Ms Mallia said the chemo she will undergo is the second strongest type of treatment but if her doctors aren't happy with her progress she will be put onto the strongest.
Ms Mallia says she's been able to stay positive thanks to her incredible support system around her including her family and partner Nathan
Ms Mallia said she now suffers shortness of breath due to the countless lumps that have grown around her neck, esophagus, throat, sternum and on her diaphragm
The stronger form of chemo can leave patients suffering both physically and emotionally, Ms Mallia claims, with serious impacts on fertility.
Despite her diagnosis, Ms Mallia has managed to stay positive, something she credits to her family and fiancé Nathan.
'I have an amazing support system, my mum has raised me to go at it head on because it is what it is,' she said.
'My fiancé goes up and down but he's ready to stand by me and fight this together and what better reason to fight than for the ones you love.'
Hodgkin Lymphoma is an aggressive but very treatable form of cancer especially for patients who seek treatment early.
It commonly affects people between the ages 15 to 30 and those over 55 years old.
Ms Mallia has shared her story in the hopes it will raise awareness and to get the message across that no matter how mild something may be, it's always better to seek medical attention.
'Whatever it is, if it's a lump somewhere and even if you don't have any symptoms it's better to be safe than sorry,' she said.
A close friend of the 21-year-old has started a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the cost of medical and treatment procedures.
The fundraiser has already gained close to $10,000.
The 21-year-old says she's determined to beat her cancer and come out the other side