Thomas Bamford
A woman from the UK has tragically passed away from a rare form of cancer which affects only 2 percent of people.
And the scary part is, it all started with a common symptom that many of us will experience.
Katy Miles was a fit and healthy young woman, who regularly got stuck in at her local CrossFit classes, but at just 37 years old she started to notice some bladder control issues while skipping during one the classes, as she desperately needed to use the bathroom.
Off the back of this incident, Katy saw her doctor, who referred her for a scan that showed an abnormality.
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Despite the doctor telling them that it was a less serious cyst, they sent off for a biopsy for confirmation.
Arriving at the medical centre for the results in 2016, Katy was met with brutal news.
Matt, Katy’s husband and a police officer, said a doctor told them: “I can’t tell you the result because I’m not an oncologist, but you need to be aware that I expect this is going to be bad news.”
The doctor diagnosed her with a serous ovarian carcinoma (LGSOC), which accounts for only 2 percent to 5 percent of all ovarian cancers.
Matt continued: "I remember Katy had a yellow jumper on and blue jeans, and we walked out into the corridor and went through a set of double doors.
“As soon as we went through those, she literally grabbed hold of me and her legs just buckled.
“Then she just burst into tears because she’d just been told that she had cancer.”
Ovarian carcinoma is a rare cancer subtype that grows more slowly than more common ovarian cancers, and has a survival rate of up to 10 years, according to NHS England.
The news hit the pair like a hammer blow.
What followed was a gruelling set of treatments: a bowel resection in November 2016 to remove cancer cells, followed by a eight hour operation in August 2017.
Matt added: “The doctor referred to it as finding grains of sand and he was taking each lesion out.”
As if this wasn't enough to go through, Katy had a stoma bag fitted and a full hysterectomy, a hugely impactful operation that despite the pain, she 'took in her stride'.
Katy then began a brutal cycle of chemotherapy.
By the start of spring 2024, Katy’s quality of life declined to the point Matt remembered Katy telling him at the time: “I can’t do it any more. It’s too much.”
She was having trouble with the nephrostomies in her back, so the staff said they could replace them, but Katy did not have the energy for it anymore.
Matt said Katy asked for them to be taken out, which was explained to her as a “peaceful way to end” her life.
Matt continued: “I can remember the doctor was crying and so was the nurse. Everyone was in hysterics.
“She had these things taken out and she came back and she was beaming.”
The family took turns to share time with Katy during her final three weeks at the hospice before she tragically passed on September 24th 2024.
Her husband Matt is now taking on a series of charity challenges to raise money for Sue Ryder who cared for Katy during the end.
He will be honouring Katy by using her police collar number, 1481, to complete a series of challenges, including the London Marathon this weekend and hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Matt reflected on the ordeal: "It was dramatically unfair.
“To have this disease is one thing, but to have a rare disease, for someone of her age and fitness level, there was no rhyme or reason for it.
“Cancer doesn’t discriminate. If it gets you, it gets you.”
He has smashed his fundraising goal of £10,481, so he has since increased it to £14,810.
Matt said: “I’ve got an patch of the 1481 that I’ll have on my Sue Ryder shirt and a little cross that Katy had.
“When I have those moments where I don’t want to keep going, those will be the little things that will keep driving me.
“Katy will be at the forefront of my mind. She is the driving force behind it all.”
To donate to Matt's fundraiser for Sue Ryder, visit his JustGiving page here