A WOMAN whose sister died from ovarian cancer just eight days after being diagnosed wants women to be more aware of the “silent killer”.
Natalie Wild was very worried about her sister Leanne, whose symptoms were considered Covid for months.
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When she was finally told she had the disease in November 2021, the cancer had spread so much throughout her body that she only survived another week.
Now Natalie is trying to raise as much awareness as she can, to prevent any other family from going through such suffering.
The 44-year-old, who lives in Sheffield, said: “I will never give up telling other women about ovarian cancer.
“It took my sister eight days and I don’t want this devastation to happen to anyone else.”
It was a shock for the family when Leanne first fell ill in April 2020.
The country had just entered lockdown, so his symptoms were similar to some of the signs of Covid.
“We were worried when she fell ill as Covid was taking lives,” Natalie said.
“As she was having breathing problems, this was attributed to the fact that she had Covid for a long time. But she couldn’t get better.
“In June, on her birthday, we FaceTimed her as no one could meet because of Covid restrictions.
“Her breathing was so labored and raspy it was like talking to a 90-year-old woman who had smoked all her life.
“Over the next 20 months, she was told she had Covid three times.
“But she has lost a lot of weight despite being on steroid treatment to try and help her get better.”
Leanne struggled at work, trying to carry on as normal, and then in November she would have a week’s holiday.
During that week, she began to feel sick and became dehydrated and was taken to the hospital.
Just an hour later, she received the most terrible news. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
“We were all in shock,” Natalie said. “The next few hours were a blur.
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“The doctors called us to say they thought her ovary was twisted and they needed to take her straight to the operating room.
“Her belly had been swollen for a few days and they thought that was causing the problem.
“Before we had time to respond, we received another call. She was from the hospital again.
“They took Leanne into surgery but her cancer was so advanced they couldn’t operate.
“She was so bad that they didn’t even know if she would wake up from the anesthesia.
“Mom, my husband David and I rushed to the hospital, praying she would wake up and we would have a chance to see her.”
A few days ago she was on vacation from work, now she was fighting for her life. She looked surreal
Natalie Wild
Leanne was “such a fighter”, that despite the cancer being everywhere, she managed to wake up with the anaesthetic.
“I couldn’t believe it had come to this,” Natalie added.
“A few days ago she was on vacation from work, now she was fighting for her life. She looked surreal.
“We knew she was sick, but we never imagined it could be something like this.”
Leanne fought hard, but cancer took over her body and she lost her fight for life two days later, with her family by her side.
“We were completely and utterly devastated,” Natalie said.
“She was diagnosed just eight days ago and now we have lost her.
“It was too horrible to accept. I had to tell my children Colby and Tilly that their beloved aunt was gone.
“It seemed so unfair. She was only 39 and had her whole life ahead of her.”
What are the signs of ovarian cancer?
Ovarian cancer affects the ovaries – the organs that store the eggs needed to make babies.
It mainly affects women over 50 and can sometimes run in families, according to the NHS.
Cancer symptoms can be vague, especially in its early stages, says Cancer Research UK.
The charity advises you to speak to a GP if you experience the following symptoms:
- Feeling full quickly
- Loss of appetite
- Pain in the abdomen or lower abdomen that does not go away
- Bloating or increase in the size of the abdomen
- Needing to pee more often
- Fatigue that is inexplicable
- Unexplained weight loss
- Changes in your bowel habits or symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, especially if it starts after age 50
The NHS added that vaginal bleeding after menopause could be another possible symptom of ovarian cancer.
Natalie wants more people to talk about ovarian cancer.
“It makes me angry that his symptoms were considered Covid,” she said.
“And that’s why I want to raise awareness about ovarian cancer as much as possible.
“We need to talk more about what is happening in our bodies.
“I am working closely with the Target Ovarian Cancer group to raise awareness; I helped with a campaign where Leanne’s story was used on a billboard in a major department store.
“A few months later, one of the school mothers came up to me and said she wanted to thank me because the campaign council helped save her cousin’s life.
“She had seen Leanne’s story and was worried about her own symptoms so she went to the doctor and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, but it was caught early enough and she had the best possible outcome.
“When I hear this, it shows that Leanne’s death was not in vain and that brings us comfort.
“If I had known enough about the symptoms, I would have pushed Leanne to see a doctor about it, to express her concerns, and that might have saved her life.”
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