24-year-old mother diagnosed with B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma after dry cough and rapid weight loss

Rafaela Ribeiro, 24, a mother of two from São Paulo, was diagnosed earlier this year with B‑cell non‑Hodgkin lymphoma after months of a persistent dry cough and rapid, unexplained weight loss that she initially dismissed as a natural change.

Ribeiro said she lost nearly three stone in a matter of weeks and at first believed she was simply losing weight. "I thought everything was fine, that I was just losing weight very quickly. I never imagined it would be anything more serious," she said. The symptoms progressed to swelling in her neck and armpits and, she added, "a few days later, I could no longer swallow anything solid because the tumour was squeezing my chest."

Doctors diagnosed Ribeiro with B‑cell non‑Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. She described being distraught upon learning that the disease had substantially affected her internal organs. Ribeiro, who works as an estate agent and posts on social media, has credited a hospital‑acquired infection she contracted during care — often described as a "superbug" — with playing a role in her subsequent survival, a claim she has made publicly.

Non‑Hodgkin lymphoma typically begins in the lymph nodes, and B‑cell lymphomas arise from white blood cells, the immune system cells that help fight infection. Statistics cited by the cancer charity Macmillan note that around nine out of 10 people diagnosed with lymphoma have a B‑cell type.

Ribeiro is married and has two young sons. She spoke about the experience after her diagnosis and treatment became known, describing the shock of rapid symptom progression and the difficulty of recognizing early warning signs. Health professionals say that symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, persistent cough and swollen lymph nodes can sometimes indicate serious illness and warrant medical evaluation.

Public accounts of young people diagnosed with aggressive cancers have prompted discussions about early detection and access to specialist care, especially when symptoms are initially mild or attributed to more common conditions. Ribeiro's case highlights the potential for aggressive lymphomas to present with non‑specific symptoms and the importance of follow‑up when those symptoms persist or worsen.

Details about her current treatment regimen and long‑term prognosis were not included in the account. Ribeiro's public statements focus on her experience of symptom onset, the impact on her family, and her belief that a hospital‑acquired infection was a factor in her survival.