A DEVOTED young mum has lost her battle with cervical cancer, leaving five young children behind.
Amanda Dawson, 32, tragically died only 24 hours after being rushed into hospital, with her devastated family saying docs dismissed telltale symptoms and Amanda may have missed out on years of smear tests.
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Her mum, Elaine, 59, now plans to step in and raise her children, aged from three to 12 years old.
Elaine, from Bolton, says: “I have told the children that their mummy has gone ‘over the rainbow’ but the little ones just don’t understand.
Amanda actually said herself that she thought she might have cancer
Elaine
“Kia, the eldest, was with her mum when she died. It’s absolutely heart-breaking.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet but I can’t grieve for my daughter because I have to face the financial and practical challenges of looking after my grandchildren.”
Elaine, who is being supported by Amanda’s best friend, Robyn Campbell, revealed that Amanda had symptoms throughout 2017, but they were dismissed as side effects of the contraception she was using.
Elaine says: “Amanda was bleeding all the time, but she had a contraceptive rod and so doctors said that was probably the problem. They couldn’t examine her properly because she was bleeding and so it dragged on and on.
Her mum revealed: “Amanda actually said herself that she thought she might have cancer.”
Amanda’s family also believe she may have missed smear tests – which she should have been having since age 25 – but the busy mum was distracted with raising her children.
Amanda did request a smear test when she started to bleed, but docs weren’t able to carry it out until she had stopped bleeding, which she never did.
“When she was eventually sent to hospital, early in 2018, they found a tumour measuring 13 cm.”
The tumour was too large for surgery and Amanda began chemotherapy. The treatment seemed to go well.
‘HEART OF GOLD’
Robyn, 28, who had been best friends with Amanda since childhood, says: “It was very hard for her; the chemotherapy made her sick and she couldn’t do simple things like walk her children to school.
“She was a devoted mum, with a heart of gold, and it really upset her that she couldn’t look after them like she wanted to.”
At the end of September, Amanda finally saw doctors who still believed the tumour, which had shrunk to 3cm, could be operable.
But two weeks on, her condition deteriorated quickly – and Elaine became concerned.
Elaine says: “Amanda was feeling under the weather last Monday, her legs were swollen but she insisted she was OK. I kept a close eye on her, I was going round each day to help with the children.
“By Saturday, I was so concerned that I called an ambulance.”
Single mum Amanda died in hospital the following day, with her mum and eldest child, Kia, 12, at her side.
Mum of five, Elaine, says: “Amanda was my only daughter and we were so close. I can’t believe I have lost her, and it feels to me like opportunities to save her were missed.
“She spent months going to the doctor, complaining of bleeding, before she was diagnosed.
“Now five little children are without their mummy and I have to do everything I can to help them through this.”
‘GOODNIGHT MUMMY’
The Sun’s Fabulous Cheers for Smears campaign aims to stop tragedies like these happening.
Fabulous has partnered with cervical cancer charity Jo’s Trust to launch #CheersForSmears, a campaign aiming to ensure women across the UK attend their screenings, no matter what.
With around 3,200 women in the UK now being diagnosed with the disease every year – a number that is set to rise by around 40% within 20 years – and one in three dying from it, it’s clear we’re facing a cervical cancer time bomb.
But as it’s one of the only cancers that can be prevented through early screenings – and smear tests can actually stop 75% of cases from developing – why are millions of women avoiding them?
Elaine said: “I would urge anyone with symptoms to please seek help and don’t take no for an answer.”
Robyn has stepped in to organise Amanda’s funeral, set for November 1st, and is fundraising to help with costs.
Her eldest daughter, Kia, has chosen the songs and also requested that mourners wear pink.
Robyn says: “The children will release balloons, one pink and four blue, saying: ‘Goodnight mummy.’
“Jackson, seven, is with his dad but Elaine has the other four children, Kia, 12, Riley, eight, Amario, four and three year old Daekan, in a small two bedroomed house. She has no money to look after them and no space.
“She needs help and support and we are appealing for anyone to help who can. It would mean so much.
“Amanda had a heart of gold, she helped me many times. Way before her diagnosis, we always said we would look after each other’s kids, if anything happened. Now it’s my turn to keep that promise.”
You can donate to the family’s GoFundMe here.
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