Scarlett Moffatt feared she had cancer when she was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy at the age of 11.
The 26-year-old television personality was diagnosed with the condition – which causes temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in one side of the face – 15 years ago, but feared it could be much worse when a doctor told her the illness can sometimes be an early sign of "acute lymphoblastic leukaemia".
Writing in her new autobiography ‘Me Life Story: Sofa So Good!’, she said: "We were all crammed in a very small hospital room when my dad started to cry. I had just been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a facial paralysis.
"The doctor said to me: ‘If you can take your socks and shoes off, Miss Scarlett O’Hara, I just need to explain something to your parents about why we need to do some blood tests. It’s nothing to be scared of, it will only feel like a scratch. We need to do these tests as, on rare occasions, Bell’s palsy can be an early manifestation of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.’"
The former winner of ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ – who is set to start working on the show’s spin-off series ‘Extra Camp’ this year – didn’t understand the seriousness of the conversation at first, but finds it "heartbreaking" to look back on.
She added: "I had no idea what any of the words meant. It’s only now I understand why my parents got so upset. My dad had recovered from a rare skin cancer just four years before.
"So the thought of his little girl having tests for that awful C-word – cancer – was heartbreaking. My dad picked up my sock, held it to his eye and started to cry.
"’Come on, Dad, my socks don’t smell that bad,’ I smiled weakly, trying to cheer him up. Even though I was nervous and confused at what was happening, I just wanted to hear my dad laugh, not cry."
Luckily, the former ‘Gogglebox’ star was given the all-clear, and her Bell’s palsy cleared up in three months after she was given a strong steroid treatment.
She said: "But only three hours or so later, the doctor came back in to tell us amazing news: ‘Your daughter is fit and healthy – other than the unfortunate case of Bell’s palsy, of course. I’m going to give her strong steroids and it should have cleared within three months.’"
Scarlett Moffatt’s cancer scare
