A MUM who was allegedly told she was “too young” for cancer has now been told she has just 12 months to live.
Emma Louise Clark, 31, first visited her doctor in January 2022 after concerns over weight loss and sleeping issues.
Emma Louise Clark and partner David Rice, who are now hoping to have their dream wedding
Emma (pictured) was told she was ‘too young’ for cancer
Emma and David with their kids David Jr, 11, Keeley-May Rice, 10, and Ariella Rice, 5.
Her doctor wrongly assumed the Merseyside mum’s symptoms were a sign her contraceptive coil had moved – and refused to test her for anything else.
“My doctor basically fobbed me off,” she said.
“He wouldn’t examine me and even after I said I wanted him to check he said no but because I was bleeding, he arranged an ultrasound and a blood count,” she added.
Her doctor insisted her coil had “migrated” and once she’d had it removed she’d be fine.
He said she was “too young for it to be anything else,” Emma recalled.
Weeks later, when Emma was eventually seen by a different doctor to get the device removed, they noticed something was wrong with her cervix.
“I had biopsies done about four or five days later and when I went in for the results they told us it’s cervical cancer.”
Further tests revealed the cancer was already at stage 3 which is very advanced for cervical cancer, doctors told Emma.
“This is why smears are important,” she said.
According to Cancer Research, one in 142 women in the UK will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in their lifetime – and almost two-thirds will survive.
Emma is calling for the recommended cancer screening age be lowered for women from 25 to 16-18.
She also wants the NHS to “do more” to make sure people get checked.
“The NHS should send out a letter or two and they need to follow up with people who aren’t booking in.
“That’s the only way to crack down and make sure girls are being safe,” she said.
Since her diagnosis, the doctor who first took a look at Emma’s cervix has filed a formal complaint against her doctor who dismissed her symptoms early on.
“I had to have a few stays in hospital with infections and sepsis. I also had to have a stoma bag fitted because the tumour was so large my bowels weren’t working,” she explained.
She had five weeks of radiotherapy and chemo but nothing helped get rid of the disease which has started to spread to other parts of her body – including her lungs.
“The cancer is out of control,” she sad. “It’s now stage four terminal and they gave me twelve months – a bit longer if treatment works better than they’re expecting.”
Despite the heartbreaking situation, the mum-of-three has elected to spend her remaining time with family, and finally get married to soulmate David Rice, 34.
The pair – who have been together for almost 16 years – set up a GoFundMe in the hopes of raising £7,000 for Emma to experience her “princess” wedding.
She said: “We have three young children and its mainly them I feel for.”
“They have been literally amazing, for their age, they have been so mature and grown up and helpful to say the least but as a mother – the one who does the school mornings and does the girls’ hair and sits and does homework – I’m usually too sick for those things.”
At the time of writing, Emma’s fundraiser had raised £6,480.
What are the symptoms of cervical cancer?
There are no obvious symptoms during the early stages of cervical cancer – that’s why it’s best to keep up with your smears when reminded by your GP.
However, vaginal bleeding can often be a tell-tale sign, especially if it occurs after sex, in between periods or after the menopause.
That said, abnormal bleeding is not a definite sign of the condition, just a possible indicator.
Nevertheless, it should be investigated by your GP as soon as possible.
Other warning signs include:
- pain and discomfort during sex
- unusual or unpleasant vaginal discharge
- pain in your lower back or pelvis
And if it spreads to other organs, the signs can include:
- pain in your lower back or pelvis
- severe pain in your side or back caused by your kidneys
- constipation
- peeing or pooing more than usual
- losing control of your bladder or bowels
- blood in your pee
- swelling in one or both legs
- severe vaginal bleeding
