A woman was shocked after being diagnosed with incurable lung cancer despite never having smoked.

Jade Fardon, from Watford, England, lived a healthy and active lifestyle. When the 33-year-old business change manager first developed a cough in 2020, she visited her general practitioner, who told her that she was dealing with a bout of COVID, she told Southwest News Service.

Over the following year, Fardon developed a persistent hoarse voice. In April 2022, she started experiencing other symptoms including nausea, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes. Fardon was then referred for a CT scan, which revealed cancer in both of her lungs.

“When I went to the doctor with my symptoms two years later, I did suspect it might be cancer, but not lung cancer,” she told the outlet. “When I got the results of my CT scan, it was already stage 4, and it was very scary, I was shocked and in a bit of denial.”“The original tumor at that point was 6 cm, but there were tumors in both lungs,” she said. “You never hear about young people who have never smoked getting lung cancer.”

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Fardon was diagnosed with stage 4 ALK-positive lung cancer, a rare subtype that accounts for approximately 4% of lung cancer cases and is more commonly found in younger, non-smoking adults, according to the American Lung Association.

With her diagnosis, Fardon didn’t require chemotherapy and was instead put on a daily oral medication to target the specific mutation. The treatment was ultimately successful and doctors told her she was able to return to a relatively normal life.

Jade Fardon / SWNS
However, during a checkup in December 2023, Fardon’s scan revealed she had 17 lesions in her brain.

“When treatment started, for a long time, I didn’t want to hear the word ‘cancer’ at all,” she admitted. “When I went on the first drug, it shrunk the tumors. So when I found out they found metastases in my brain, I had to go through all those scary feelings again.”

In January 2024, Fardon underwent targeted radiation therapy for the lesions. It was seemingly successful, but by the end of the year, she started experiencing headaches and more nausea. Doctors later discovered that one of the lesions had caused a brain bleed, and she underwent surgery before Christmas to remove it.

In early April 2025, Fardon was faced with another setback. After suffering a seizure and, she was rushed to the emergency room where she learned that another brain lesion had progressed.

This time, doctors switched her medication to help slow progression moving forward. After another radiation treatment earlier this year, Fardon is now able to work and live as normally as possible while staying on top of her monthly oncology checkups.

Jade Fardon / SWNS
In September, Fardon is set to participate in Tour de 4 — an inclusive charity cycling event founded by six-time Olympic champion Chris Hoy — to raise money and awareness for ALK Positive UK, a nonprofit that supports ALK-positive lung cancer patients.

“This condition has been incurable since the very start when I was diagnosed, so this is my new life,” Fardon told the outlet. “Sometimes I pause and feel sad, but anyone could think that. Now I want to challenge assumptions of living with stage four incurable cancer.”

“I didn’t used to like telling people I have stage 4 cancer, now I like to show people what I’m doing,” she continued. “If you have the determination, passion and the right perspective and have the right people around you, you can do anything.”