Young Mother Diagnosed with Cancer After Experiencing Neck Pain

A 28-year-old mother from Sunderland has been diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma after experiencing unusual neck pain when consuming wine. Hollie Thursby, a mother of two, first noticed the pain following the birth of her second son, Jack, in December 2024. Initially attributing her discomfort to the demands of motherhood, she later discovered that her symptoms were linked to a serious health condition.

Ms. Thursby began feeling shooting pains behind her left ear and down the side of her neck after enjoying a glass of wine. “I would get pain in my neck and behind my ear on the left side,” she explained. While she found that other alcoholic beverages like lager and prosecco did not cause the same reaction, wine consistently triggered intense discomfort.

The symptoms did not stop with the shooting pains. Ms. Thursby also experienced fatigue and itchy skin, which she initially dismissed as normal postnatal challenges. “I was painfully tired but I had two babies under two, so I just put that down to being a busy mum,” she said.

In January 2025, Ms. Thursby raised her concerns with her general practitioner, who attributed her symptoms to hormonal changes after childbirth. “They just said that it was probably down to hormones,” she recalled. However, her condition worsened, and in July, she discovered a lump on the left side of her neck, prompting her to seek further medical attention.

Following her visit to the doctor, a CT scan revealed a cluster of swollen lymph nodes. On October 23, 2025, she received the distressing diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. According to the NHS, symptoms can include pain in the neck, armpit, or groin when consuming alcohol, which is caused by the dilation of blood vessels in diseased tissue.

Her oncologist informed her that the pain experienced while drinking wine is a known symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma, although it is not commonly reported. “When I spoke to the blood cancer doctor, she said she had seen it only once in her 17 years of practice,” Ms. Thursby noted.

In November, she began her first round of chemotherapy, grappling with the emotional toll of her diagnosis. “I can’t look after the boys, which is what is affecting me the most,” she admitted. Ms. Thursby lost her mother to a blood disorder when she was just ten years old, intensifying her fears about leaving her own children without a mother.

“I keep telling myself that getting better is my way of looking after them,” she said, expressing her determination to fight the disease for the sake of her sons, Oliver, aged two, and Jack, aged one. “I’m just doing everything I can to get better for them. I keep telling myself this is only temporary; I just need to keep going.”

Hodgkin lymphoma primarily affects the white blood cells crucial for fighting infections and is most common among individuals aged 20 to 24 and 75 to 79. The disease impacts approximately 1,950 individuals annually in the UK, with treatment options including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and other therapies.

Ms. Thursby’s experience serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of listening to one’s body and seeking medical advice when symptoms arise, especially as they may indicate serious health issues. As she navigates her treatment journey, her focus remains on being present for her children and ensuring they do not endure the same loss she experienced at a young age.