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Islanders have donated more than £35,000 to support the founder of an inclusive dance company, her husband and one-year-old twin daughters after she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer aged just 33.
Jessie Mutero was diagnosed with secondary lung cancer shortly after the birth of her daughters, Aquila and Starla, in July 2020.
Jessie had previously been diagnosed with Synovial Sarcoma - a rare and often aggressive form of tissue cancer – in 2014 and had since been getting regular scans to keep an eye on any regrowth.
In 2018, she returned to the island with Thanda, who she married in 2019, to set up ‘Little Extra Love’ - a company that offers a range of classes and workshops in parkour, performing arts for those with additional needs, as well as Cechetti ballet and babywearing dance classes.
Pictured: Jessie and Thanda's daughters were born in July 2020.
Last July, just two days after the birth of her twin daughters, Jessie was taken back to hospital after having breathing problems. A scan revealed she had secondary lung cancer and she was sent to Southampton shortly after to start her treatment.
In November, whilst living in Southampton during her treatment, she created the online ‘Jersey Back and Forth Cancer Support Group' to give those going through a similar experience of living between the island and another place a forum to discuss their issues, experiences and day-to-day lives.
While it initially looked like the chemotherapy had worked, Jessie was told in March 2021 that the tumours had regrown and that doctors weren’t able to remove them.
Pictured: Jessie with her husband, Thanda, her daughters, Aquila and Starla, and her mother.
Her childhood friend, Ashleigh Taylor, set up a crowdfunding page with an aim of raising £50,000 to fund alternative treatments. However, as Jessie is not able to travel, the money will now be used to support the family’s living expenses, as well as supplements she takes to try and rebuild her strength.
Ashleigh has known Jessie since they met in Year 7 at Les Quennevais School and she says their friendship has only grown over the years.
“She has always been in my life since day 1,” she said. “As we got older, we got so much closer. Jessie has the ability to be really close friends with everybody, she maintained good relationships with everybody in our friendship group.”
Ashleigh, who is one of the godmothers for Aquila and Starla, originally offered to set up the page when Jessie was first diagnosed, but she refused, as she didn’t want to “put a burden on people”.
Pictured: Ashleigh and Jessie met at Les Quennevais School in Year 7.
“When Jessie first told me she had lung cancer, the first thing I did was ask ‘how can I help’,” she explained. “I suggested the idea of fundraising then but they did not know what was going to happen and Jessie didn’t want to ask anybody for money. She is always the one doing things for somebody else, when she was first diagnosed with cancer, she raised money for a little girl with Sarcoma to go to swim with a famous dolphin in Florida.”
Ashleigh eventually set up the page in July this year to help make Jessie, Thanda and their daughters’ lives better in an “incredibly difficult time”.
“She gave so much back to the community,” she said. “Everything she does is about other people. When they set up Little Extra Love, she said, ‘I want to do dancing to people can enjoy it, I want to make it inclusive so that everyone can be involved.' She never puts herself first.
“To show her it’s ok to ask for help and there are a lot of people who want to help.
“I know it sounds cliché when people say, ‘she is one in a million,’ but she really is and it reflects in the fact we have raised so much money in a relatively short period of time. She is just that wonderful and she touches a lot of people.
“She has left such a positive impact on the world, having that kind of legacy is such a lovely thing. she is really one of those people who are one in a million. Cancer is a difficult thing to have for any one at any point in their life and to have such a positive mental attitude at that time is kind of inspiring.”
So far, islanders have donated just over £35,000, while the Progressive School of Music recently held a fundraising show.
Ashleigh said Jessie was “almost overwhelmed” by the generosity of friends and family, but also strangers.
“It shows that there are so many lovely people in the world,” she said. “It’s been so overwhelming and lovely to see the support.
“It takes such a huge weight of her shoulders to know Thanda and the girls are in the best position possible. I don’t think people really understand how much a real life impact this had. They are beyond grateful.”
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