Laura Dawson, a 44-year-old mother of two, endured months of morning bloating and exhaustion—symptoms that ultimately led to a tragic diagnosis that shortened her life.

Living in London, Dawson initially believed her discomfort was linked to perimenopause. In reality, she was suffering from stage three bowel cancer.

It wasn’t until one night, when she was struck by severe abdominal pain, that she sought urgent treatment at A&E.

Doctors performed emergency surgery to remove a bowel obstruction. Although the operation itself was considered successful, follow-up tests revealed the presence of cancer.