Woman’s Butlins trip saves her life - by revealing she had cancer
A woman who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after a weekend at Butlins revealed a night of 'silly' drunken antics saved her life.
Charlotte Morjaria, 31, from Newport, had headed off on a girls' trip with her two best friends to the Minehead holiday park in June.
On the final day of their weekend break, the group ran into a stag party, which led to them drunkenly playing 'silly' games around their accommodation.
When Charlotte was picked up and scooped over a man's shoulder, she reported hearing a 'pop' sound in her side - though she dismissed it as anything serious and continued enjoying her evening.
However, after arriving home, she found the pain in her rib - which at this point she'd thought she had broken - began to increase.
After taking herself off to A&E, Charlotte revealed she had slipped 'in and out of consciousness' during the 22-hour wait in the waiting room, before being admitted for a CT scan to check for any internal damage.
But in an unforeseen turn of events, results showed a 'sizeable' cancerous tumour on her left kidney.
Describing her initial reaction to the news as being 'the most scared I've ever been in my life,' she reported the medics who surrounded her did not have the 'faces of people who are going to say you're fine.'
Charlotte Morjaria, 31, from Newport, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer after a weekend at Butlins, revealed a night of 'silly' drunken antics ended up saving her life
She further revealed she had almost left the hospital several times until her mother and friends showed up to support and convinced her to stay.
Following a series of tests, Charlotte was eventually diagnosed with stage TFE3 renal cell carcinoma - a rare form of kidney cancer, a case her consultant had only heard of 'once.'
After doctors told her they would treat the 7cm (2.5in) tumour as cancer, Charlotte, a mother to two-year-old son Sebastian, was immediately transported from The Grange Hospital to nearby Royal Gwent Hospital.
She recalled asking herself 'dozens of questions' on how a tumour of such proportions was missed, adding that there didn't appear to be obvious 'tell-tale signs.'
Though she reported suffering from chronic fatigue, weight loss and back pain, she revealed these symptoms were masked by her active lifestyle, which saw her go swimming and attend dance classes on a regular occasion.
Charlotte, who suffers from depression and takes regular medication to manage her symptoms, also assumed her daily aches and pains were nothing to worry about as she was constantly running around after her 'absolutely crazy' toddler.
In 2024, Charlotte had also been taking Mounjaro, a weight loss medication, while struggling with disordered eating - though she stopped administering the jab when it began making her feel unwell.
Sharing her story with BBC News, she said: 'The doctors were astounded, not only by the fact I was this young, healthy woman, but the fact that, on the surface, I'd had no idea.'
After her Butlins trip, Charlotte was eventually diagnosed with stage TFE3 renal cell carcinoma, external - a rare form of kidney cancer, a case her consultant had only heard of 'once'
In August, just before her 31st birthday, Charlotte underwent surgery to remove her kidney, with tests showing that the cancer hadn't spread (pictured, with her partner and two-year-old son, Sebastian)
In August, just before her 31st birthday, Charlotte underwent surgery to remove her kidney, with tests showing that the cancer hadn't spread.
Charlotte was given the all-clear in September, but was warned by doctors that she is still seen as high risk and will need to have scans for the remainder of her life.
She said: 'The reality of it is, every six months I'm going to be scared. I'm going to be a mess. I'm cancer free, but I'm not free of cancer.'
Now, under instructions from doctors to be sensible, including eating healthily and reducing her alcohol intake, Charlotte hopes her story can raise awareness, adding: 'It's a silly story. An adult Butlin's weekender did indeed save my life.'
