Drag queen diagnosed with cancer twice says discovery of 'menace' alter ego Shanika Sunrise saved their life

A drag queen who was diagnosed with cancer twice in one year after relapsing has said the discovery of their "menace" alter ego Shanika Sunrise saved their life during gruelling treatment. Jay Swinnerton, 26, a non-binary transfeminine freelance artist who lives in Manchester, was just 19 when they were diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma - an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system - in March 2017. Jay underwent chemotherapy immediately and, faced with the inevitable prospect of losing their hair, their friends decided to buy them a "lilac wig with bangs" from Luvyababes in Manchester's Arndale - and thus Shanika Sunrise was born. "I started to do drag and Shanika Sunrise was this product of my experience and this coping mechanism - I'd even go as far as to say a survival mechanism because it literally got me through my whole experience," Jay told PA Real Life. Jay started using their mother's makeup and "dolling (themself) up" and every time they would go to hospital for treatment, they would put nail polish on and wear a "different eyeshadow makeup look" - which the other nurses loved. They were told they had reached remission in September 2017 after having chemotherapy, but in April 2018, almost exactly one year after being first diagnosed, they received the news that they had relapsed and the cancer had spread.