This 27-Year-Old Mom Of 3 Is Battling Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer And Has 1 Year Left To Live
Twenty-seven-year-old Jemma McGowan is a loyal wife, loving mother, and caring friend from the U.K. Sadly, she is also battling a second fatal cancer diagnosis with an estimated one year left to live.
Stacey Neill, a close friend of Jemma’s, has organized a GoFundMe campaign on her behalf. There, Jemma has told her gut-wrenching story and humbly asked the GoFundMe community for their help.
“Hi, my name is Jemma. I am twenty-seven years old, and this is my second time facing a cancer diagnosis,” she began.
In August of 2016, Jemma and her partner Clive were ecstatic to be expecting their first baby girl, Sadie. Then, at only seventeen weeks along, Jemma was thrown her first curveball.
“I had stage one ovarian cancer surgically removed when I was seventeen weeks pregnant. I was told it was a very rare and low-grade cancer, not known to spread or become aggressive,” she said.
Jemma had her left ovary, fallopian tube, and the tumor– also known as a “basaloid carcinoma brenners”– removed. This treatment, coupled with the low likelihood of recurrence, gave her hope and confidence.
“We never looked behind us. Sadie was born in December of 2016, and I was very healthy and happy with no cancer symptoms,” Jemma said.
All of her follow-up scans and blood test results were coming back clean, and Jemma believed she was in the clear. She eventually married Clive and went on to have another child, Louis.
Instagram; pictured above is Jemma
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But, throughout her second pregnancy, Jemma began suffering from a familiar pain.
“I experienced pain in my lower back and pelvis throughout the pregnancy. But, with clear blood results and scans, I was assured there was nothing to worry about,” Jemma said.
Louis was eventually born, and all was still believed to be well. That was until she became pregnant with her third child, Betty.
“At thirty-five weeks pregnant, I found a lump. I visited my midwife, who red-flagged me to my consultant, who then rushed me for an MRI. It was agreed that I should get booked in early and for a planned procedure instead of waiting for a natural birth,” Jemma explained.
In turn, Betty was delivered via c-section, and Jemma’s lump was removed and biopsied about two weeks later. The day after the removal, Jemma also went for a full-body CT scan, and the results were far worse than anyone expected.
“The results showed a tumor in my left lung and three on my pelvic bone. On February 9, we met with an oncologist in Belfast, and they confirmed my diagnosis of advanced stage four incurable ovarian cancer,” Jemma said.
Stage four ovarian cancer is diagnosed when the cancer has spread to distant body parts, such as the liver or lungs. According to Medical News Today, the five-year survival rate is about thirty percent.
Still, Jemma’s case is exceptionally unique.
“My cancer is acting very unusually and aggressively. It has no documented cases reported in the medical journals, which makes it difficult for my oncology team to know what exactly is the best course of treatment or a prognosis of how the treatment will work,” Jemma explained.
In turn, her battle has been a compilation of trials and errors. Since the diagnosis, Jemma has received three rounds of two distinct kinds of chemotherapy treatments.
“The three rounds of chemo have been physically, mentally, and emotionally the toughest twelve weeks of my life to date. I have to get up every morning and, with the help of my family around me, get my little girl to school and look after my other two babies,” Jemma said.
Her children have been her “lifeline” throughout the process. She is fighting to see them grow older, reach milestones, and simply be their mom.
Three months after her diagnosis, though, Jemma again met with her oncologist. After making it through her chemotherapy, she was hopeful for improvement in her CT scans. Instead, Jemma was heartbroken.
“They confirmed my worst nightmare. There are new tumors in the pelvic area and pubic bone,” Jemma said.
The tumor in her lung had slightly shrunk, which she believed was cause for hope. Nonetheless, Jemma’s oncology team did not share the same optimism.
“My oncology team has decided to stop my chemotherapy for now. We have been advised to get our affairs in order and were told it is reasonable to believe I have only one year to live,” she said.
“How can I be expected to accept that? I simply cannot accept it. I have three small children– Sadie is four, Louis is one, and Betty is only fifteen weeks,” Jemma continued.
She is proud to have always been a “positive person” with a “such a zest for life.” Thus, Jemma refuses to give up.
She and her husband learned of Hope4Cancer, a “world leader in holistic and integrative oncology” located in Mexico. Now, Jemma’s goal is to continue fighting with their oncology team.
“I NEED to be here to see my wee babies grow up and be their mommy. We have so much faith in Hope4Cancer and are begging for the kindness and support from strangers to help this become a reality,” Jemma said.
With a goal of fifteen thousand euros, her GoFundMe campaign has already reached nearly eighteen thousand euros. Over one thousand generous donors have contributed to Jemma’s cause over the last two months.
“I do not know you personally, but I saw your story on Instagram. As a mom to a one-year-old, my heart broke for you. I cannot even imagine how you are feeling. Wishing you all the best,” wrote Hannah Bates, who donated ten euros.
“I have watched your story for about a year. It has broken my heart and filled me with so much admiration. I wish you and your family all the love and best wishes. You are a real inspiration– your honesty and integrity throughout your battle will save so many lives via earlier intervention thanks to you shining a light on symptoms,” wrote Linzi Durman, who donated twenty-five euros.
To learn more about the McGowan family and remain updated on Jemma’s battle, you can visit her Instagram account here. And to donate to her pertinent cause, visit the GoFundMe campaign link here.
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