Trust your instincts, get checked, and don’t shrug off symptoms because you think you’re too young to be seriously ill
At first, it didn’t seem serious. A few aches, constant tiredness, and yet another bladder infection. That’s what doctors kept telling Jade Kruger, who was just sixteen at the time. She took the antibiotics, tried to get on with life, and hoped it would pass. But as the months went by, the exhaustion grew worse, and what everyone thought was a simple infection turned out to be late-stage ovarian cancer.
Before her diagnosis, Jade was proud of her long blonde hair.
“When I first heard the word ‘cancer,’ it did not sink in,” Jade says. “I cried, I prayed and asked, ‘Why me?’ But I decided to focus on the journey ahead. I chose to focus on how I was going to fight it instead of why it happened.”
It’s hard to imagine how someone so young could get ovarian cancer. After all, incidence rates are highest in women aged 75 to 79. But that’s exactly why Jade is sharing her story.
“Your body is always right,” she adds. “If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Early detection saves lives. No symptom is too small to be taken seriously. Go for that check-up, no matter how uncomfortable it seems.”
Jade didn’t plan on becoming a voice for young people with cancer.
“When I was diagnosed, I started looking for other young people in a similar situation and could not find many. Then I decided to just tell my story,” she says.
“I wanted to show that cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care about who you are. It doesn’t care about where you’re from or whether you’re a good person. And it certainly doesn’t care how old you are,” says Jade. “If this gives even one person hope, then I’ve done what I set out to do.”
When she started sharing her story on TikTok, it wasn’t for likes or attention. She just wanted to share what treatment really felt like for someone her age – the good days, the awful ones, and everything in between. But the reaction was so much bigger than she ever imagined.
“People started messaging me,” she says. “Other cancer patients, survivors, even complete strangers inboxed me with love and encouragement. It made me realise how powerful it can be to just be honest and open online.”
Nothing about her videos feels staged. She shares the hard days as openly as the hopeful ones, speaking honestly about the exhaustion, the fear, and the small things that help her keep going.
Chemotherapy brings a lot of changes. Some changes you can prepare for, and others hit unexpectedly hard. For Jade, losing her hair was one of those moments.
“I felt like my long, straight hair made me, me!” she explains. “When I walked into a room, there were always comments about my hair. Seeing the pieces fall out made me emotional. I quickly realised it’s just hair. My hair doesn’t make me, me. I am me with or without hair.”
She pauses, then adds, “I was heartbroken, but I realised it’s just hair. Once this fight is over, I will get it back. I can be myself without my hair.”
Jade was devastated when she started losing her hair.
Her mom wanted to help her feel more like herself again, so she started looking for wigs. That’s when she found Tymeless Necessity Hair – a team that creates custom wigs for people going through treatment, often using their own or a loved one’s hair.
“My mom found them while researching for wigs,” Jade notes. “She wanted something special – something that would make me feel like myself.”
Meeting the Tymeless team was an emotional turning point.
“They made me feel so comfortable,” she says. “They listened to my story. For them, it’s not just about making wigs but rather restoring a missing part of me.”
When Jade saw her completed wig for the first time, she cried. “I felt emotional,” she says. “At first, the thought of it being a wig makes you feel uncomfortable. It felt like I got a piece back of everything I lost.”
Jade wearing her customised wig crafted by Tymeless Necessity Hair.
The wig was perfect. It was the same length, the same colour and the same silky texture her natural hair had.
“The best thing was the texture,” she smiles. “The hair did not feel fake. It felt soft and silky, just like mine. It gave me back a sense of comfort. I saw me again; not just a girl with cancer. Being able to celebrate my birthday with my twin meant everything to me.”
Even on the tough days, when the treatment left her drained, that simple act of looking in the mirror and recognising her reflection gave her strength.
Jade’s story has reached thousands online, but she says if it helps just one person, that’s enough.
“A wig does not make you vain. It’s a way of finding yourself through something life-changing. Whether you wear a wig or go bald proudly, you’re still beautiful and you’re still you.”
Rani Chetty, Founder of Tymeless Necessity Hair, explains that when Jade’s mom, Marjon, reached out to her she didn’t hesitate to help.
“We knew how important it was for Jade to feel like herself again, and our team poured so much love and care into every strand of that wig,” she says. “It was a truly emotional journey. Jade is such a brave and beautiful young woman. When she came in to collect her wig, there were tears – both hers and ours. Seeing her smile through those tears reminded us why we do what we do. At Tymeless, it’s never just about making wigs – it’s about restoring confidence, dignity, and a sense of self. Every piece we create carries a story of strength, hope, and healing.”
