Jayda McCann: Beauty blogger, 24, dies from rare cancer

Beauty and well-being influencer, Jayda McCann, has died from cancer at the age of 24.

Jayda, who has close to 70,000 followers on Instagram was diagnosed with cancer in March 2018, and shared her story with the disease online.

Her death was announced on Thursday 24 October on her Instagram.

She had been diagnosed with a rare PEComa (Perivascular epithelioid cell tumour) in her vulva last year, which later spread to her lungs.

PEComa tumours can form in the soft tissues of the stomach, intestines, lungs or female reproductive organs but most are benign.

She was diagnosed with cancer shortly after her dad was told he had prostate cancer, and initially believed that her cancer had been detected early enough to be successfully treated.

In April, Jayda told followers that her health had worsened after finding out the drugs she had been taking had not been working.

She started radiation therapy in May 2019 for the tumour on her lung, which was pressing on her ribcage, which led to hairloss. She revealed her shaved head in early June.

Earlier this month, she told followers that her dad's cancer was also terminal, but said there were "a few options available" and that "we will not give up."

Jayda's most recent post on Instagram was 28 September and fans were told this week that she had died and given details of funeral arrangements.

Jayda, and other people who have shared their cancer journey on social media can have a positive affect on others and help them deal with what's going on, says one of the UK's leading cancer charities.

"It can be inspiring and helpful to others going through cancer when someone shares their experience so openly, like Jayda did," Martin Ledwick, the head information nurse at Cancer Research UK, said in a statement to Newsbeat.

"It can also give people a way of getting things off their chest - many find it helps them to cope if they tell their story."

Following her death, a friend of Jayda posted on Instagram saying he had been recording her and her family's experiences for the past 18 months for a documentary.

People who have followed Jayda's story have been posting tributes to her online - praising her for her influence on others and her "relentless" positivity.

Visit the BBC advice pages for more information on cancer.

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