"Amazing" young Derbyshire mum who urged women to get checked loses breast cancer battle

Terina Jordan, 31, died on March 3, having documented her treatment on social media since her diagnosis in October 2022.

The mum-of-two, from New Houghton, posted detailed accounts of the painful and debilitating chemotherapy treatments right up until January this year.

“Beautiful” Terina began sharing her story to warn younger women and men of the ever increasing cases of cancer in younger people, as there was no history of breast cancer in her family at all.

She told Derbyshire Times in December 2022: “I had a lot of symptoms that I didn’t know were related to breast cancer, so I left it for about three months and thought it was nothing.

“Then I started noticing my breast was getting bigger and redder and realised something was wrong.”

She described how one women who had read her social media posts had been sent for an urgent referral after finding a lump, adding: “It’s that sort of thing that sharing my story like this is all about – finding and getting those symptoms checked out earlier could save your life.”

In April last year Terina’s cancer developed to stage 4 and spread to her liver and later her bones.

Speaking about Terina’s treatment, her mother Chris Jordan said as the cancer became more aggressive the various chemotherapy treatments took their toll on her.

She added: “Ultimately her body couldn’t withstand the increasing trauma which came with the treatments.

“At both Weston Park and Chesterfield Royal Hospital the team of staff looking after Terina were absolutely amazing and did everything possible - the care they gave her was to the highest standard they could possibly give.

“Terina was a complicated case and her disease didn’t have any boundaries.

“She took everything in her stride that was thrown at her and always appeared to be positive and trusted implicitly in the team that was looking after her.

"But saying that deep down she was terrified of what this disease was actually doing to her body.”

Speaking about her daughter, Chris, 56, described her as “a funny, loving and passionate young lady” who loved her children – Alfie, 10, and Willow, 5, - “unconditionally”.

She said: “Terina was an amazing Mummy to Alfie and Willow, she was so protective towards them both and loved and cared about them endlessly.

“The hardest thing she had to do was tell her beautiful children what was happening to her body.

"They are devastated and heartbroken that they’ve lost their mummy, the most important person in their lives and their very best friend.”

Chris said there were “no words to describe” the family’s “heartache and sadness”, including that of Terina’s partner Ash, 35.

Speaking about her daughter’s last weeks, Chris said: “We never left her side and right until the end Terina kept us amused with her beautiful personality and the funny things she said and did.

"She was a remarkable young lady and had such a zest for life and was always finding ways to make us laugh and her love for us was to infinity.”

A few days before her passing Terina asked Chris’s partner Kevin if he would book a trip to Disneyland in Florida that the family had discussed, however Terina wasn’t well enough.

Chris said: “The plan was as soon as Terina was fit enough we were going to take the children to Disneyland as Terina wanted her children to experience the magic that she loved with her brother Declan and sister, Alicia, when they were children.

"Even a few nights before she left us she asked her stepdad if he could book Disney for us all. We think if she knew the trip was booked, she thought she would be here for longer.”

A fundraising page has been set up by Terina’s cousin after requests from others to donate towards Alfie and Willow.

Anyone wishing to contribute can do so by clicking this link: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/TerinaJordan?utm_term=q3zWPPwG6&fbclid=IwAR0WYdQ6zfcxHAbhCO_W1-NvnKr8b23n7W968jeUVtXPq7tM_g7be4WJim4