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Woman Has Cancer And Will Die Soon, Takes Out Several Credit Cards Before She Goes
Woman Has Cancer And Will Die Soon, Takes Out Several Credit Cards Before She Goes
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Woman Has Cancer And Will Die Soon, Takes Out Several Credit Cards Before She Goes

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One of the worst things that can happen to anyone is hearing from their doctor that they have cancer. In some situations, medication, treatments, and therapies are available that can help patients beat the disease. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for everyone.

Redditor u/UnderstandingThis430 went massively viral on the ‘Confession’ online group after revealing that she is terminally ill with bone cancer. So, she decided to get a credit card and take on debt to buy whatever she wants during her remaining time on Earth. Read on for the full story, including how the internet reacted to the post. Bored Panda has reached out to the author for comment, and we’ll update the article as soon as we hear back from her.

RELATED:

    It would be a devastating shock for anyone to find out that they have cancer

    Image credits: Kateryna Hliznitsova / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    A woman who is terminally ill with bone cancer opened up online about how she’s taking on credit card debt to splurge on everything she wants

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    Image credits: CardMapr.nl / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

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    Image credits: Markus Winkler / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

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    Image credits: UnderstandingThis430

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    The sad reality is that bone cancer often affects young people

    The NHS explains that primary bone cancer is a rare type of cancer, with around 550 new cases diagnosed in the United Kingdom each year. Primary bone cancer begins in the bones, while secondary bone cancer spreads to the bones after developing in another part of the body.

    Some of the main symptoms of bone cancer, which most often develops in the long bones of your legs or upper arms, include:

    • Persistent bone pain that gets worse over time and continues into the night;
    • Swelling and redness (inflammation) over a bone, which can make movement difficult if the affected bone is near a joint;
    • A noticeable lump over a bone;
    • A weak bone that breaks (fractures) more easily than normal;
    • Problems moving around—for example, walking with a limp.

    Osteosarcoma, the most common type of bone cancer, mostly affects children and young adults under 20 years old.

    Ewing sarcoma most commonly affects people aged 10 to 20 years old. And chondrosarcoma tends to affect adults aged 40 and over.

    There are various factors that increase the risk of developing this type of cancer

    Image credits: Kateryna Hliznitsova / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    People who are at a higher risk of developing bone cancer include individuals who have had previous exposure to radiation during radiotherapy, have Paget’s disease, or have Li-Fraumeni syndrome. This type of cancer often affects young people because of their rapid growth spurts during puberty.

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    Bone cancer treatment often involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. “Generally, bone cancer is much easier to cure in otherwise healthy people whose cancer hasn’t spread,” the NHS writes.

    “Overall, around 6 in every 10 people with bone cancer will live for at least 5 years from the time of their diagnosis, and many of these may be cured completely.”

    The author’s story reached a ton of people around the globe. At the time of writing, her post about her bone cancer and credit card debt had 95k upvotes and garnered 8.3k comments.

    Many internet users had encouraging comments for u/UnderstandingThis430, as well as advice for what else she could do, including getting more credit cards and ideas for what she could buy with all the money that she has available.

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    The author later shared online how she made lots of “random purchases,” including jewelry with her handwriting for her family, lots of delicious food, jellycats, clothes, candy, etc. She also found other ways to treat her relatives. On top of that, she donated lots of food to her local food bank and is looking for ways to thank the cancer charities in her area.

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    What are your thoughts about taking on credit card debt after finding out that you’re terminally ill, dear Pandas? What advice would you give the author of the viral post if you could talk to her directly? Has someone close to you ever had cancer? What did you do to support them during that difficult time? If you feel like sharing, you can open up in the comments section at the bottom of this post.

    The post reached lots of people all over the internet. Here’s what some of them said about the young woman’s situation

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    Jonas Grinevičius

    Jonas Grinevičius

    Writer, Senior Writer

    Read more »

    Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real.At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design.In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle.I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

    Read less »
    Jonas Grinevičius

    Jonas Grinevičius

    Writer, Senior Writer

    Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real.At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design.In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle.I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

    Mantas Kačerauskas

    Mantas Kačerauskas

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

    Read less »

    Mantas Kačerauskas

    Mantas Kačerauskas

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

    What do you think ?
    Son of Philosoraptor
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    After my mother in law passed, we'd get collection calls regarding her debts. "You'll have to take it up with her" my wife would tell them. "But she's dead!" "Not my problem."

    Earonn -
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My bank fees go less up because one dying person has a shopping and donation fee, and more because big companies waste money and pay big bonuses when they are close to bankruptcy. Nice of OP to donate, may she enjoy the time she's got left.

    Nate B
    Community Member
    10 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Not from ONE person, but systemic fraud is actually a HUGE reason your fees go up. In 2024, there was a reported loss of over 12 billion dollars due to fraud.

    Load More Replies...
    Tams21
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As greedy and outright predatory financial institutions are, this is a great way to get something back. It won't hurt them in the slightest but if it makes an unbelievably hard situation just a tiny, tiny bit better then it's absolutely worth it.

    Nate B
    Community Member
    10 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    You do all realize that it isn’t the banks that are taking the loss, right? They pass their losses onto the responsible card holders through higher interest and fees.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    Son of Philosoraptor
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    After my mother in law passed, we'd get collection calls regarding her debts. "You'll have to take it up with her" my wife would tell them. "But she's dead!" "Not my problem."

    Earonn -
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My bank fees go less up because one dying person has a shopping and donation fee, and more because big companies waste money and pay big bonuses when they are close to bankruptcy. Nice of OP to donate, may she enjoy the time she's got left.

    Nate B
    Community Member
    10 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    Not from ONE person, but systemic fraud is actually a HUGE reason your fees go up. In 2024, there was a reported loss of over 12 billion dollars due to fraud.

    Load More Replies...
    Tams21
    Community Member
    10 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As greedy and outright predatory financial institutions are, this is a great way to get something back. It won't hurt them in the slightest but if it makes an unbelievably hard situation just a tiny, tiny bit better then it's absolutely worth it.

    Nate B
    Community Member
    10 months ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    You do all realize that it isn’t the banks that are taking the loss, right? They pass their losses onto the responsible card holders through higher interest and fees.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
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