NHSFlintshire Kelly Pendry, a 42-year-old mother of two from Ewloe, Flintshire, is using her personal experience to encourage women to demand additional investigations regarding their health concerns. Kelly was eventually diagnosed with the rare cancer uterine leiomyosarcoma in 2021, after suffering from heavy and prolonged periods, abdominal pain, and weight gain for several years. The delayed diagnosis has left Kelly with stage four terminal cancer. This type of cancer affects 600 people annually in the United Kingdom.
In 2016, when Kelly first began experiencing her symptoms, she consulted her physician, who informed her that her body would ‘normalise’ after pregnancy. She was also prescribed antidepressants and advised to consider taking the birth control pill or having a coil inserted. However, the pain remained incapacitating, and in April 2020, a locum GP concluded that something was amiss after feeling lumps in her abdomen. In November 2021, after additional tests and some delays due to the pandemic, Kelly was finally diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma.
Even though Kelly’s cancer is incurable, an oncologist told her he would do his best to treat it. She underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, which bought her additional time, but she is aware that her cancer is terminal.
Michael is currently raising funds to send Kelly to the United States for surgery, but until then Kelly wants to encourage other women who are concerned about their health to conduct research and advocate for further examinations. She stated, “We will soon be discussing women’s health, menopause, and periods. I hope it will get better.”
Kelly Pendry uses her story to emphasise the significance of perseverance when it comes to women’s health issues. She is determined to fight for every second of her life with her children, despite being diagnosed as terminally ill. Her family hopes to raise £50,000 so that she can undergo surgery in the United States, while she continues to urge other women to be aware of their own health and seek further examinations if they have any concerns.
