Georgia Gardiner, a 28-year-old mother from Leeds, was diagnosed with terminal gastric cancer after doctors repeatedly dismissed her symptoms as acid reflux. “I was being sick quite a lot… my body was just rejecting everything,” she said. Despite visiting her doctor and local hospital six to nine times, she was only given reflux medication.
Months later, an endoscopy finally revealed she had linitus plastica, a rare and aggressive form of stomach cancer. “Then they said it was incurable… my whole world just crumbled,” Georgia shared. The cancer had already spread to her lymph nodes and internal organs, and doctors gave her about 12 months to live.
Georgia is now focused on making memories with her two-year-old son, Arlo, while her family raises funds for future treatments and experiences. She urges others to advocate for themselves when they feel something is wrong: “Push for answers and don’t stop.”
“I get angry sometimes because I think if I’d been taken seriously… maybe we could’ve done more,” she added. Georgia hopes her story will help others get diagnosed sooner and possibly save lives.
