Woman who uses cancer as an excuse divides the internet

In a post going viral on social media, a woman using her cancer as an excuse to do whatever she wants is dividing the internet.

Posted on Reddit’s r/AmITeA**hole forum, a teenager using the anonymous username u/OrneryEntrepreneur90 shared her story to get opinions from the “AITA” community. The viral post has over 9,000 upvotes and 600 comments.

The original poster (OP) began her post by explaining her relationship with her second cousin “Jane”. She wrote that they are not close as Jane can be mean to her at times.

Since they live in the same city, Jane has joined her in various activities by taking a bus downtown since she’s available. The OP needs someone to accompany her as her parents are uncomfortable with her on public transport as her mother was ‘frequently molested’ on a bus when she was young. The OP wrote that she is very grateful for what her cousin is doing for her.

“Jane was unfortunately recently diagnosed with cancer and was given an estimate of three years to go,” she wrote. “Since she got the message, she’s often done things like cut long lines and asked for discounts that are usually only available to service workers, with the phrase, ‘I’ve only got three years left, we’ve got to make them good.'”

Recently her parents asked Jane to get on a plane with the OP as she had never flown alone on a plane before. The plan was that Jane would go with her and then return home while the OP would visit family and then she would fly alone. As a thank you, the OP’s parents gave Jane some skin care products and paid for her tickets.

She wrote: “On the flight, [Jane] stretched out her knees and legs on the seat in front of us. When the person understandably turned around to complain, she used the stupid three-year-old excuse to live things up again. The person said he was sorry but please put his legs in his own room.

“She twirled her legs around a bit and then angled them so her knees were resting on the back of the seat in front of us. I told her she was being childish and she said she deserved to be comfortable in her final years. I then told her that I and others around her don’t care about her life at the expense of others,” the user continued.

The OP explained that her cousin was quiet for the rest of the flight and felt bad about what she was saying, but was tired of Jane being “an idiot” around strangers.

news week contacted u/OrneryEntrepreneur90 for comment.

Incurable vs. treatable cancers

As defined by the National Cancer Institute, cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow out of control and can spread to other parts of the body and start anywhere. What are the differences between incurable and treatable cancer?

terminal cancer

End-stage cancer cannot be treated or cured, according to Healthline. However, chemotherapy or radiation can potentially help extend the person’s life expectancy.

Treatable Cancers

Treatable cancers can go away with the right treatment and are unlikely to return, according to the American Cancer Society. However, doctors cannot guarantee that the cancer will not come back.

According to verywellhealth.com, the five deadliest cancers are lung, colon, breast, pancreas and prostate cancer. Cancer survival depends on the type of cancer, the stage of the cancer and the treatment you receive.

Redditor reactions

“[Not the a**hole]“, explained u/Musical85 and received the top comment from over 17,000 upvotes. “I’m done at about a year, but I don’t feel entitled to anything. When I’m feeling down/emotions running high, I spend time with myself so as not to offend anyone. I am grateful for every single moment and live life to the fullest, but not at the expense of others.”

“[Not the a**hole]. Like you said you could have worded it nicer but she needed a wake up call that ‘I’m dying’ is never an excuse for mistreating others,” u/AllKindsOfCritters wrote.

“[No a**holes here] but listen to me,” u/LonerWitch__me began, “your cousin may be throwing a tantrum herself because life has become so unfair to her…you’re told you only have some time left on the planet…she needs to be scared, nothing and behave like that just to feel something?”

“You’re definitely not the asshole but I think right now you both need to sit down and talk your heart out, she needs it and maybe you do too. Express your thoughts as calmly as possible and see if you can get some support from family and friends to help her through this emotional turmoil,” the commenter continued.

“[Your parents are the a**holes] What on earth are they doing by taking advantage of Jane, a sick woman, to essentially fulfill their role? Jane should never have been there…I’m so mad at her,” exclaimed u/experience-cool.

“Of course [you’re the a**hole]. You don’t have to tolerate every shitty behavior from her, but there were plenty of ways to make your point without telling her NOBODY CARES SHE DIES,” u/mulkimchi admitted.