Woman who battled mouth cancer and learnt to breathe again became pilot while undergoing treatment
- last year
A woman who battled mouth cancer and learnt to eat and breathe again became a pilot while undergoing treatment and says she feels “totally liberated”.
Jackie Burch, 30, noticed a "sore" on her tongue in December 2019 and went to the doctor concerned.
After pushing for a biopsy on the growth she was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma – a rare tongue cancer in April 2020.
Jackie, originally from Orange County, California, underwent surgery to remove the growth in November 2020, and spent a week with a tracheostomy - an opening in the neck with a tube inserted to help you breathe.
Two months later the growth returned, and Jackie pushed to have two further surgeries in January 2021 because she wanted "the best possible chance to live cancer free".
Despite her ordeal, Jackie decided to learn to fly and started her training whilst still undergoing treatment.
Now two years in remission, Jackie has obtained her pilot’s licence and loves to fly a light aircraft, built by her husband, Tobias Stein, 31.
Jackie, a hotel host and former civil engineer based in Lucerne, Switzerland, said: "It was terrifying mentally and physically to go through it.
"When the growth started coming back on my tongue again, I got really scared.
However Jackie said flying has helped her feel liberated in spite of her cancer experience.
Jackie met her husband, Tobias, a pilot, in December 2016 and discovered a passion for aviation after seeing he was building an aircraft in his house.
But Jackie's training was halted when she discovered a growth on her tongue in December 2019.
She went to her doctor in New Zealand, where she was living at the time, and had a biopsy which revealed she had precancerous cells on her tongue growth.
She was told her to monitor it and on her return to the United States she started a course of steroid injections and pills to get rid of the lump.
Jackie said: "I was like, this really hurts now. I need to have this removed."
She had another biopsy in April 2020 which revealed she had squamous cell carcinoma.
Jackie said: "It was crazy. It was silent and something just like completely changed. The doctor said I was one of only two people who have ever had this."
Following her diagnosis and biopsy she underwent further scans and tests but in July 2020 her cancer returned.
She had an hour long operation to remove the growth in November 2020 - including a neck dissection to test the lymph nodes for cancer.
Jackie spent a week with a tracheostomy and had shoulder pain where her nerves were damaged.
The couple had bought a hangar home to house their new aircraft - a bush airplane named ‘Pocahontas’ and a Cessna 150 – when Jackie relapsed.
As soon as Jackie’s arm and shoulder had improved she started taking flying lessons again.
Within a year she gained her private pilot’s license in March 25 2021 and began flying a small single engine piston aircraft.
Jackie is now in remission but has been told there is a chance her cancer could return.
Jackie Burch, 30, noticed a "sore" on her tongue in December 2019 and went to the doctor concerned.
After pushing for a biopsy on the growth she was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma – a rare tongue cancer in April 2020.
Jackie, originally from Orange County, California, underwent surgery to remove the growth in November 2020, and spent a week with a tracheostomy - an opening in the neck with a tube inserted to help you breathe.
Two months later the growth returned, and Jackie pushed to have two further surgeries in January 2021 because she wanted "the best possible chance to live cancer free".
Despite her ordeal, Jackie decided to learn to fly and started her training whilst still undergoing treatment.
Now two years in remission, Jackie has obtained her pilot’s licence and loves to fly a light aircraft, built by her husband, Tobias Stein, 31.
Jackie, a hotel host and former civil engineer based in Lucerne, Switzerland, said: "It was terrifying mentally and physically to go through it.
"When the growth started coming back on my tongue again, I got really scared.
However Jackie said flying has helped her feel liberated in spite of her cancer experience.
Jackie met her husband, Tobias, a pilot, in December 2016 and discovered a passion for aviation after seeing he was building an aircraft in his house.
But Jackie's training was halted when she discovered a growth on her tongue in December 2019.
She went to her doctor in New Zealand, where she was living at the time, and had a biopsy which revealed she had precancerous cells on her tongue growth.
She was told her to monitor it and on her return to the United States she started a course of steroid injections and pills to get rid of the lump.
Jackie said: "I was like, this really hurts now. I need to have this removed."
She had another biopsy in April 2020 which revealed she had squamous cell carcinoma.
Jackie said: "It was crazy. It was silent and something just like completely changed. The doctor said I was one of only two people who have ever had this."
Following her diagnosis and biopsy she underwent further scans and tests but in July 2020 her cancer returned.
She had an hour long operation to remove the growth in November 2020 - including a neck dissection to test the lymph nodes for cancer.
Jackie spent a week with a tracheostomy and had shoulder pain where her nerves were damaged.
The couple had bought a hangar home to house their new aircraft - a bush airplane named ‘Pocahontas’ and a Cessna 150 – when Jackie relapsed.
As soon as Jackie’s arm and shoulder had improved she started taking flying lessons again.
Within a year she gained her private pilot’s license in March 25 2021 and began flying a small single engine piston aircraft.
Jackie is now in remission but has been told there is a chance her cancer could return.