A 28-year-old mother from England, once described as “fit and healthy,” has been left devastated after being diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer, months after doctors repeatedly dismissed her symptoms as nothing more than heartburn.
Georgia Gardiner, a horse-riding enthusiast and devoted mum to two-year-old Arlo, began experiencing severe stomach pain earlier this year. The pain quickly escalated to the point where she couldn’t keep food down and lost her appetite entirely, an alarming shift for someone who once described herself as a “massive foodie.”
“I knew something wasn’t right,” she told the Daily Mail. “My body was just rejecting everything. Then I started having this sharp, constant pain in my upper stomach. It was unbearable.”
Despite making between six and nine visits to her GP, Gardiner was repeatedly told her symptoms were the result of acid reflux. She was prescribed basic antacids and reassured it was nothing serious. But the pain persisted, and worsened.
It wasn’t until she was finally referred for an endoscopy, months after her symptoms began, that the true cause was revealed. The scan showed signs of a rare, aggressive form of cancer known as linitis plastica. By the time it was diagnosed, the disease had already spread to surrounding tissue and lymph nodes near her lungs. The cancer was classified as stage four, the most advanced and least treatable stage.
“I was in complete shock,” Gardiner said. “I asked the doctors, ‘Am I going to die?’ I couldn’t believe it. I have a two-year-old son. I can’t die.”
Doctors have given her a prognosis of just one year to live. She describes the moment she and her fiancé Callum received the news as life-shattering. “Callum went green,” she recalled. “I didn’t speak or leave the house for three days. My whole world crumbled.”
With no family history of cancer and no known risk factors, the diagnosis has left her with unanswered questions, and deep frustration that her early symptoms weren’t taken seriously.
Now, Gardiner is urging others to push for further tests if something feels off. “If someone else catches this earlier because they demanded more from their doctor, then I’ll know I’ve helped in some way,” she said.
In the time she has left, Gardiner is focusing on what matters most: creating memories with her son and marrying her fiancé. The couple, who originally planned to wed in a few years, are now fast-tracking their wedding. A fundraiser has also been launched to help cover treatment and give the family time together.
“The thing that breaks me,” she said, “is how much I’m going to miss out on Arlo’s life. He’s everything to me.”
Each year, there are about 30,300 new cases of stomach cancer (17,720 in men and 12,580 in women) in the USA, according to the American Cancer Society. While more common in those over 75, it is increasingly being seen in younger patients, a trend that has left health experts searching for answers.
When caught early, stomach cancer can be treatable, but late-stage diagnosis drastically reduces survival rates. Georgia’s story is a powerful reminder to listen to your body, and push for answers when something feels wrong.
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