'We believe her life could have been saved' - Sheffield woman raises funds and awareness after losing sister to ovarian cancer

"And I found it quite frightening as a female that I wasn’t armed with this information. Since Leanne passed, I think [raising awareness] has become my coping mechanism because I still can’t get my head around the fact that my sister is dead and that she died in such a short space of time.”

Natalie is sharing her sister’s story as part of Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month this March. The charity Target Ovarian Cancer is using the month to call for a dramatic improvement in earlier diagnosis – vital for better outcomes.

Key symptoms include persistent bloating, feeling full quickly and/or loss of appetite, pelvic or abdominal pain and urinary changes such as needing to wee more urgently or more often than usual. A new survey by the charity found only one in three women would contact their GP about persistent bloating, with previous research highlighting just one in five could name it as a symptom of ovarian cancer.

It was one that Leanne was suffering from at the time of her diagnosis – though she was generally feeling unwell for months beforehand. Natalie explains how in April 2020, Leanne was sent home from her work in admin at Sheffield’s Hallamshire Hospital as she was struggling to breathe and feeling unwell.

Her symptoms were suspected to be Covid-19, but she tested negative. She didn’t return to work until August that year but was still struggling. And over the next year, she sought medical attention due to exhaustion and breathlessness, for which she was given steroids and inhalers.

Leanne didn’t know she had ovarian cancer until an emergency admission for suspected Covid-19 and norovirus in November of 2021. Hospital staff were concerned about the abdominal swelling they could see and she was referred for a CT scan. It showed a mass in her ovary – ovarian cancer. Leanne had surgery within days and her family were then told the devastating news that the cancer had spread and there was nothing further that medics could do.

“Leanne was so funny, she was hilarious,” Natalie says. “She absolutely loved life. She was one of the best friends you could ever ask for because she was so thoughtful and caring and considerate... She was always the first person to congratulate you on anything happening in your life. She took so much joy from everyone else’s joy. She was such a kind and warm person and thrived on being with other people.”

Since Leanne’s death, her family have held many events to raise money in her memory. This April, Natalie is running the London Landmarks Half Marathon and she has recently signed up for the Great North Run. Education, she says, including among healthcare professionals, is the key to raising awareness and ensuring the early and successful treatment of ovarian cancer.

“It was my sister Leanne who lost her life to ovarian cancer. It could’ve been anyone’s sister. My family are committed to do whatever we can against this vicious disease. If we’d known the symptoms of ovarian cancer, we believe Leanne’s life could’ve been saved. Not enough people know the symptoms of ovarian cancer. If more people knew, if GPs had more support, education and resources, more outcomes could change.”

Annwen Jones, chief executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, says: “We know that early diagnosis increases the chances of survival and knowing the symptoms is vital to achieving this. This is why we continue to demand that the UK governments invest in awareness campaigns so that everyone knows the potential significance of persistent bloating – alongside abdominal pain, feeling full quickly and needing to wee more often – and seeks the appropriate medical advice.”

For more about ovarian cancer and its symptoms, visit targetovariancancer.org.uk. To sponsor Natalie, visit join.targetovariancancer.org.uk/fundraisers/nataliewild1732