A mom-of-three sadly died just weeks after being told the true cause of her stomach ache.
On February 5, Laura Barlow, 33, passed away at her home near Stickney, Lincolnshire, in the UK, as reported by ITV News.
The late mother began having severe stomach pains in October 2023 and noticed blood in her stool.
Her husband told the publication that after a telephone appointment with the GP, she was diagnosed with endometriosis, prescribed some medication, and booked for a face-to-face appointment. However, Laura received a letter two months later stating that she would not be seen by doctors until February, despite still being in lots of pain.
By December, the discomfort intensified so much that she attended Boston Pilgrim Hospital's urgent care department with her husband and waited for four hours. Laura was given morphine to help alleviate the ache and was told by medics that nothing could be done to help because her doctor was already dealing with the endometriosis so the couple returned home.
On New Year's Eve, Laura was once again taken to a hospital, this time in the accident and emergency section. Her sister Lisa Codd pushed for more tests to be done so after an ultrasound and CT scan on January 2, lesions were discovered on her liver and she was put on a two-week pathway.
Still in severe pain weeks later, and facing delays in waiting for an endoscopy, Laura was taken back to A&E. On February 2, Mike disclosed that they were then told Laura had cancer in her bowel with 95 percent coverage of the liver.
Tragically, they then found out Lisa had been misdiagnosed with endometriosis - a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus - when she actually had liver and bowel cancer.
"I feel angry, but also guilty sometimes," Laura's sister said. "I think 'Should I have advocated for her, should I have said something else?' But at the end of the day, they are doctors, they knew better than I did."
Laura's family had one last vacation together at Center Parcs before she died peacefully at home in her husband's arms on February 5.
Her loved ones are still searching for reasons why her cancer was not picked up earlier and are questioning whether something could have been done to save her.
In a statement obtained by ITV News, Mike said: "There are failings in multiple areas. If bloods were taken earlier, things might have shown up. It's not going to bring Laura back but something needs to be done for other people. They've got to stop over-the-phone diagnoses. I will keep fighting this until it is sorted. I want to do it for the kids in their mum's name.
"I hope raising awareness of what happened to Laura can save someone's life. She was struggling in pain and everyone down the line could've helped her. And now I've got to bury her. We've explained to the children that their mum is with the angels in the sky," he added.
A GoFundMe page was set up by Kaitlin Barlow to help Laura's bereaved family get through this devastating loss. As of the time of writing, £8,312 ($10,638) has been raised.
Speaking about his beloved wife and mother of his children, Mike shared: "She would help anyone. Her focus was her kids and everyone has been messaging me saying they're going to miss that smile. She was a kind and warm person. Someone has got to pay for their mistakes. They took my wife and the kids' mum away. Things need to change."
In a joint statement, United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust and Stickney Surgery said: "We would like to offer our deepest condolences to Laura's family at this difficult time. We are unable to comment on individual cases, however, we are in touch with the family to hear and respond to their concerns and we will do that directly with them as is appropriate."
Laura leaves behind her husband Mike, three young daughters: Bella-Mia, nine, Summer Skye, two, and Bonnie Rae, one, as well as the rest of her family and friends.
