Healthy mum dies of cancer after doctors said her stomach problems were just IBS
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A woman who was repeatedly told by doctors that her stomach issues were caused by irritable bowel syndrome or food intolerances died of cancer. Emma King's sister Hayley Penfold is now speaking out in a bid to stop others being diagnosed late so that, unlike her sister, they have a chance to survive. Emma was just 43 when she died from pancreatic cancer.
Before her diagnosis, Emma from Maidstone was a regular at running clubs and sports classes and maintained an active and healthy lifestyle, but eventually her symptoms became impossible to ignore and she was sent for a CT scan. Hayley Penfold, 51, said: "She was back and forth to the doctors who told her to keep a food diary and put it down to multiple food intolerances, IBS symptoms, and wheat sensitivity, but Emma was losing weight dramatically and being already slim, looked very unwell, no scan was suggested.".
Two years later, in August 2019, mum-of-three Emma's symptoms had become impossible to ignore and she was given the devastating news she had a mass on her pancreas. Hayley said: "Our close-knit family, friends and the community, also started Emma’s Army, rallying around her and raised an extraordinary sum of more than £40,000 for alternative treatments.".
Emma's health declined further, with lumps appearing in her back during October and November the same year, the chemotherapy had stopped working. Hayley told the Sun: "Emma was determined to be alive for Christmas and put all her energy into being able to see her children open their presents on Christmas morning. Later in the day, having fought hard for that precious last Christmas moment, Emma hit rock bottom.".
