Tributes have flooded in for a "beautiful" woman who died after suffering from "severe stomach pains".
Amelia Grace, from Norris Green, was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in December 2020. The 24-year-old went to the doctors with her partner to undergo fertility checks back in January 2020 in the hope of starting a family together.
After a number of scans, doctors found fluid on her fallopian tubes. Amelia was told she needed keyhole surgery to remove this at Liverpool Women's Hospital, but due to the national lockdown in March 2020 her surgery was put on hold.
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The then 23-year-old started to suffer with severe stomach pains during this time. She went to see her GP and was referred to another hospital where it was found Amelia had cysts on her ovaries including endometrial cysts.
Amelia underwent keyhole surgery on December 2, 2020 and it was then doctors discovered she had cancer after taking a biopsy. On December 23, 2020 at Aintree Hospital, Amelia was told the devastating news that she had stage four bowel cancer which has also spread to her liver.
Despite undergoing chemotherapy, Amelia died on October 20 2021 aged 24. Just over a year on, her mum Therese has said she "still doesn't believe" Amelia is gone and wants to spread awareness of her daughter's story and the symptoms of bowel cancer.
Since the ECHO published Amelia's story, hundreds of tributes and condolences have been paid to Amelia.
Writing on the ECHO's Facebook page, Mary Clinton Warren said: "I remember Amelia when she was little. Gorgeous girl, thinking of you all."
Sue Maloney added: "So heartbreaking, must be the worst thing ever to lose a child something you would never ever get over, thinking about family's who have lost a child to this dreadful disease. R.I.P."
Betty Stenton also said: "Heartbreaking for you to lose your beautiful daughter so young, nobody knows what it must be like to lose a child. Sincere sympathy to you and your family."
Jayne Monaghan said: "So, so sad. RIP beautiful girl love to her mum and family, life doesn't seem fair hope she's dancing in the sky god bless to you all."
Speaking to the ECHO, mum Therese said about her grief: "It's like the front of my brain knows that it's happened, but the inside doesn't. I still don't believe my daughter is gone, it's too much to bear. When I sit and think this has actually happened for too long, it becomes too much."
Therese said she won't be celebrating Christmas this year, opting instead to help out with those who need support, rather than sit at home.
Care worker Therese is determined to help raise awareness of bowel cancer in young people, and aims to set up a charity to reach out to younger people- continuing Amelia's legacy, as this was something very important to her.
Prior to her death, Amelia told the ECHO: "I don't think people realise what people can go through. I never imagined me getting bowel cancer at 23. The amount of people I've had messaging me since I put my story on Facebook asking about symptoms they've had.
"You don't realise how many young girls are going through stuff, I think a lot of us just put it down to girl problems."
Therese added: "I think Amelia's death was avoidable, she had the symptoms and went to the doctors but lockdowns made it more difficult. People kept saying she was too young to have cancer, but there's no such thing as too young."
Therese is keen for any businesses or charities to help her set up her awareness campaign, whether that is through funding or advice on engaging with young people. You can contact her on tessg72@outlook.com or on Facebook here.
The NHS said symptoms of bowel cancer include one of the following in 90% of cases:
- a persistent change in bowel habit – pooing more often, with looser, runnier poos and sometimes tummy (abdominal) pain
- blood in the poo without other symptoms of piles (haemorrhoids) – this makes it unlikely the cause is haemorrhoids
- abdominal pain, discomfort or bloating always brought on by eating – sometimes resulting in a reduction in the amount of food eaten and weight loss
For more information visit the NHS website here.
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