Overview
- Shaw announced in April that tests showed she is HER2‑positive and that she would have five months of chemotherapy before surgery.
- Ten days after her first chemo dose she suffered a severe reaction that required an A&E visit and left her physically weak and unable to eat or taste.
- Incubated blood samples raised concern, prompting additional bloodwork, body scans and heart checks and a short stay in critical care before she was discharged to continue outpatient treatment.
- Clinicians say microbiologists are still working to identify the germ and have given Shaw powerful antibiotics while they monitor her response to treatment.
- Shaw has been sharing candid updates on television and social media, thanked NHS staff and donated hair to The Little Princess Trust, and her case underlines how chemo weakens immunity and raises infection risk for cancer patients.