Love Island star Demi Jones has shared a moving post about her cancer battle after being diagnosed at the age of just 22.
The former reality star, 27, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in May 2021 after discovering a lump on her neck.
Now in a new post in association with the Teenage Cancer Trust she has reflected on the ‘significant moments’ in her cancer journey.
She told how she was on top of the world when she left Love Island before worrying about the persistent lump on her neck.
Demi then went through the different stages of her treatment which included surgery to remove half her thyroid as she admitted she’s had to learn to love her scar.
At the end of her post she reflected: ‘Today, 4 years on, I realised there’s no ‘back to normal’ there’s a life before cancer and there’s life after cancer… it’s never quite the same.’
She also shared a picture outside the hospital on the day that she was told she was cancer free.
The caption of the post read: ‘For our #StillMe campaign, Demi shares the significant moments in her cancer story and the impact thyroid cancer had on her body image.
‘We want all young people to know that while cancer might change the way you look, it can’t take away who you are.
‘To find out more about our Still Me campaign and our information on cancer and body image, tap the link in our bio #Cancer #BodyImage #CancerSupport #CancerAwareness #ThyroidCancer.’
Back in June 2023 Demi revealed she was ‘clear’ of cancer and discussed her ‘low-self confidence’ during her battle with the disease.
Demi told the Daily Mail at the time that she had been visiting hospital every month since the diagnosis, but then got the ‘all clear’ that she doesn’t need to go back.
Demi said: ‘I went to hospital about three weeks ago and they gave me the all clear! For the last three years I’ve been going to hospital every month but they said I don’t need to go anymore and they’ll send me my medication.’
She added: ‘I feel very liberated this year and can get back to being me!’
Speaking on struggling with low self-confidence, she explained: ‘I think being an islander there’s a lot of pressure to look a certain way, especially coming off the show I was always a curvy girl and there’s always that pressure to look how you do on Instagram.
‘Especially when I went through my thyroid cancer. I got through it and I’m on the other side, I felt so ready to take on the world again but I had put on about two stone so my clothes weren’t fitting. That’s why I turned to my beauty, it obviously comes from within but it made me feel good about myself.
‘I’ve now realised you have to find that confidence within you and if you are happy with yourself that inner confidence will reflect on the outside. If I had a negative outlook I would have spiralled and my recovery would have been a lot longer.’
The TV star had two surgeries after doctors found a golf ball sized tumour in her neck and had treatment.
The disease develops in the cells of thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland found just below Adam’s apple in the neck.
Tell-tale signs include a lump on the neck, swollen lymph nodes in the neck and hoarseness.
Demi kept her fans updated through out her cancer battle in order to raise awareness on the disease.
She said: ‘It was difficult because everything was magnified because you’re going through this in your private life which is difficult enough as it is but I felt I had to share my story.
‘I think if I went through it on my own I would have spiralled and I couldn’t live a double life of struggling in private and pretending everything was alright on social media. But by talking about it that helped and people coming up to me and saying I helped them by sharing my story, it got me through.’
Demi is now doing what many of the islanders do once leaving the villa – going on holidays, posting content for her followers and working with big brands such as Shein and St. Moriz.
She has built up a massive Instagram following of 1.1 million and says she has found a way to deal with hate comments.
The influencer explained: ‘I’ve developed such a strong wall that if I see negative comments I actually laugh because I’ve heard it all. If they don’t know you personally, don’t take it personal.’
She went on to openly admit she does edit some of her social media pictures: ‘I do edit my photos and any influencer who says they don’t is lying to you.
‘But I don’t do it to the point that it doesn’t look like me, it is just a wrinkle or a smoother.
‘I think it is important for influencers to be honest about that and just do what makes you happy, if it makes you feel good do it. Sometimes I have to remember myself a lot of what you see on social media isn’t real.’
Demi found fame on the first winter series of Love Island in 2020 and was coupled up with hunk Luke Mabbott but the pair went their separate ways three months after the show.
