A mum of three tragically passed away just four months after being misdiagnosed with Endometriosis, which later turned out to be cancer. Laura Barlow, who had recently married her husband Michael, began experiencing health issues when she noticed blood in her stool at the end of October.
Despite working in a hospital and recognising the potential signs of cancer, Laura struggled to get an in-person appointment and was initially told over the phone that it was likely Endometriosis. The 33-year-old’s condition worsened by December, leading to a visit to an urgent care centre where she received morphine but was informed they couldn’t do more as her GP was already treating her.
However, it wasn’t until January that Laura managed to secure an ultrasound and CT scan, revealing lesions on her liver. She was placed on a two-week pathway for further investigation, including another CT scan, an MRI, and an endoscopy.
Laura’s health continued to decline, and during a hospital visit with her sister, she was given the devastating diagnosis of cancer. Her husband Michael recounted the harrowing moment: “Laura’s sister was with her at the time when they revealed the news about the cancer and she quickly called me to get to the hospital as soon as possible. They said she had cancer but did not tell us what type.”, reports Yorkshire Live.
“They were just going to send her home after telling her that she had cancer but thankfully, Lisa got in touch with several cancer staff who stood up for us and helped us by taking her to a cancer ward. We had a meeting on February 2, with the doctors involved and they just told us the cancer was 95% and they said that she did not have long left and that we should spend as much time as possible with her.”
The family had a small break planned at Centre Parcs the same day but it was tinged with sadness as they did not know how long they would have left with Laura. Michael said: “We had booked the break with the kids and Lisa and her husband a year in advance. It was exactly what we needed – a little fun but sadly it turned out to be the last holiday with Laura. We had to bring a wheelchair and morphine for her but we still made some fun memories.”
Sadly though, tragedy struck shortly after their return. A few days after getting back from our small break, Laura began to get more poorly”. Michael, detailing the rapid decline explained: “I asked her dad to come and help me look after her while we waited for other family members to come and help bring the bed in the spare room downstairs and she passed away a few days later on February 5. Just a few days after we were told that she did not have long left.”
The loss was particularly poignant for Michael who said: “We had only been married a year and it just felt like we were robbed from the time we had with her. I am just so angry and frustrated as it feels like the NHS has failed us and that they could have done more for her. I feel that if a doctor had seen her and not diagnosed her over the phone then it would have been spotted sooner.
“That is why I created the petition as I know from speaking to a lot of people – they were in the same position. So, far we have 8,300 signatures and it needs 10,000 to go to the government. I just want an apology, so no one else has to go through it.”