A student who chalked up her leg pain to “learning how to drive” was left stunned after being diagnosed with a rare cancer – following the discovery of a 10cm tumour in her thigh. Immy, 20, had just begun driving lessons in January 2022 at the age of 17 when she started experiencing “shooting pains” in her left knee and thigh.
Initially, Immy and her folks, Lucy and Jamie Stead, both 51, put it down to “clutch leg” – a common discomfort from using the clutch pedal too much – but the pain eased off after a week. However, come January 2023, the pain came back with a vengeance, prompting a visit to her GP who gave her painkillers.
Despite getting private physiotherapy, the pain wouldn’t let up, and a private MRI scan in January 2024 revealed a shocking truth: Immy had a tumour the size of a grapefruit in her femur, leading to a diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer. That same month, she began a gruelling regimen of 14 rounds of chemotherapy every two weeks, which by September 2024 had significantly reduced the tumour.
On September 26, 2024, Immy underwent a major four-hour surgery that included a full hip replacement and replacing 20cm of her femur with a prosthetic. Now undergoing regular physiotherapy, Immy is cancer-free and has returned to her studies in English Literature at the University of Bristol.
Her mum, Lucy, is gearing up to run the London Marathon on April 27, 2025, and has impressively raised over £21,000 for the Bone Cancer Research Trust (BCRT).
Lucy, a primary school teacher from Reading, Berkshire, recounted the family’s ordeal: “This has been the hardest time of our lives. Nothing could have prepared us for the news that Immy had cancer.
“We initially put her pain down to ‘clutch leg’ because she had started driving lessons. But when it came back the next year, we knew we had to get it checked out.
“Getting the news was beyond devastating, but thankfully Immy received treatment quickly. She’s always been a ‘no-fuss’ kind of girl and this didn’t change when she was going through chemotherapy.
“Her resilience and strength whilst dealing with her treatment have been nothing short of extraordinary – she truly is my hero. That’s why I’m so geared up to run the London Marathon soon. It’s my way of supporting the amazing work of BCRT, ensuring every penny raised can fuel their vital research and provide assistance to families just like ours.”
Immy herself was 17 years old when she began learning to drive, and after about three months and eight lessons in, she experienced intense “sharp, shooting” pains in her left knee and thigh. Initially shrugged off as ‘clutch leg’, the discomfort eased off after a week of rest but resurfaced the following January in 2023, serving as an alarm bell they couldn’t ignore.
Immy’s battle with a persistent leg pain, despite being on painkillers and undergoing both NHS and private physiotherapy, took a dramatic turn when a private hip specialist’s MRI scan in January 2024 revealed a whopping 10 cm tumour on her femur. Barely two weeks later, she was facing down a diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma—a rare and aggressive type of primary bone cancer.
Her mother Lucy shared: “The news was devastating, but Jamie and I felt we needed to put on a brave face for Immy. She was strong but in a lot of pain. Our main concern at that moment was what her treatment was going to look like.”
Undeterred, Immy began a gruelling seven-month chemotherapy regime at Oxford University Hospitals barely a week later.
“The treatment started working nearly straight away and thankfully the tumour started to shrink,” added Lucy. “Chemo was a turbulent time for Immy, some days were better than others, but she never complained. I felt so proud of her.”
After 14 rounds of chemo wrapped up on August 26, 2024, Immy faced surgery the next month on September 26—a four-hour procedure at the same hospital, giving her a new hip and swapping out 20cm of her femur for prosthetics.
Following her successful treatment and surgery, with the tumour completely eradicated, Immy is now free of cancer. She continues to see an oncologist every two months for check-ups and has joyfully returned to her English Literature studies at the University of Bristol.
Lucy, speaking about her daughter’s battle with cancer, shared: “We’re so thankful to the kind NHS staff. They saved Immy’s life. She’s building up her strength and mobility, but she’ll get there.
“She refuses to let cancer define her and I couldn’t be prouder. I’m running the London Marathon for her and to highlight the amazing work of BCRT; they were there for our family when our world was tipped upside down.”
Kate Connor, interim director of fundraising at the Bone Cancer Research Trust, expressed her gratitude by saying: “We are absolutely blown away by the incredible amount Lucy has raised by taking on the London Marathon in support of Immy. Her hard work and dedication to training and fundraising is bringing such hope to other families facing bone cancer, helping to fund vital research and support our work towards better treatments and a cure.”
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