Medicine Hat teen celebrates being cancer-free

Roughly two years ago 15-year-old Nitika Broadist and her family got the devastating news that she had colon cancer after doctors discovered she had hundreds of adenomas in her colon

For the teenager, life had already presented its challenges early on. Nitika experienced a spontaneous gene mutation at conception and was eventually diagnosed with Familial Adenomas Poliposiscoli or FAP. The rare condition is supposed to run in families but her parents say Nitika is the only one in the family with the condition. She was also diagnosed with Autism and Global delay, on top of FAP.

“Generally families can kind of bond together over an experience like this, and she’s been on her own through this whole process of it. That’s difficult as a parent to watch because you want to be able to be in it with them, if it is supposed to be something family orientated and that wasn’t the case with her ” Miranda Broadist, Nitika’s mom said.

(Miranda Broadist/ Submitted Photo)

While she was battling cancer, the teenager spent time at Calgary Children’s Hospital. Her family opted to undergo a 2 part jpouch surgery which involves the removal of the colon and rectum and building a new system out of her small intestine inside. Two surgeries took place, one in March and one in December.

Still, her family says through it all, she has always been a fighter.

“Nitika has never complained about anything in life. She has taken everything in her stride, and she appreciates every single moment in life,” Nitika’s mother Miranda Broadist said.

“She shows a strength like no other. She was told she would never ride a bike. She rides a bike like Matt Hoffman, and she scooters, she toboggans, she does things that people say ‘ well she would never be able to do this,” said Nitika’s father Mathew Broadist said.

Her parents say Nitika defied the odds once again after surgery. She recovered much faster than the doctors expected and required little to no pain relief.

“ The pain specialist. He couldn’t quite believe it. He came back two days in a row to check and to double-check and he said, ‘we will be re-writing the books with this one,” Nikita’s father said.

(Miranda Broadist/submitted photo)

The teen’s strength and resilience even inspired her sister to name her newborn after her.

“I love her very much because she is kind of special,” Nitika said of her new niece.

Now that she is cancer-free, Nitika looks forward to eating her favorite foods again, travelling, playing games, going to the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede and hopefully connecting with family in England soon.

by Tiffany Goodwein

Medicine Hat teen celebrates being cancer-free

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