Mum Chelsea Gallimore, 33, who initially dismissed her swollen stomach as constipation, is now planning her funeral after being diagnosed with a rare and incurable cancer.
From Constipation to Cancer Diagnosis
Chelsea, from Prescot, Merseyside, was rushed to hospital after waking up in agony and unable to move for six hours. She had previously experienced abdominal pain, night sweats, and fatigue, which she attributed to constipation. Scans revealed an 8cm mass on her bowel, and a biopsy confirmed a gastro-intestinal stromal tumour (GIST), a rare cancer affecting only around 900 people annually in the UK. Typically diagnosed in people aged 55 to 65, Chelsea's diagnosis at age 31 was particularly unusual.
“I woke one day with a swollen stomach and pain unlike anything I had experienced before. I rang an ambulance and when I went into hospital, I had tests and scans done. The next day, they told me I had an eight-centimetre tumour on my bowel. I didn't know how to process it,” Chelsea said.
Treatment and Recurrence
Chelsea underwent surgery in March 2024 and began treatment with imatinib, a targeted drug that blocks cancer cell growth. She stopped taking the drug in June 2025, and after scans in October appeared stable, doctors decided to keep her off the medication. However, an emergency CT scan on New Year's Eve revealed the cancer had returned. A scan four weeks later showed it had progressed significantly and spread to other parts of her body.
Doctors informed Chelsea that the disease is now incurable and inoperable. She is receiving treatment to prolong her life, but doctors cannot predict how long it will remain effective. “I'm in a lot of pain all the time and on a high dose of pain relief. I'm sleeping a lot and I’m under the palliative care team,” Chelsea said.
Planning for the Future
Chelsea, who has an 11-year-old son named Milo with partner Andrew Mason, 29, said the diagnosis has devastated her family. She now undergoes scans every three months to monitor the treatment's effectiveness. “It has been heartbreaking, because the cancer is incurable. I'm on treatment to prolong my life, but they can't say how long it will work for. I have a scan every three months — and, right now, I just feel like I'm living from scan to scan. It's hard for us all, I've had to have difficult conversations about end-of-life wishes and funeral arrangements. I'm only 33, it's not something I'd ever want,” she said.
Despite the prognosis, Chelsea and Andrew are planning to marry in November after discussing their future during her stay in a hospice. They want to bring family and friends together to celebrate while Chelsea is still able to enjoy the occasion.
Raising Awareness
Chelsea is documenting her cancer journey on social media to raise awareness of GIST and encourage people to seek medical advice when something feels wrong. According to Cancer Research UK, early-stage GIST often has no symptoms, leading to late diagnosis. Later symptoms include abdominal pain or discomfort, a feeling of fullness, vomiting, and extreme fatigue. GIST is a rare sarcoma found in the wall of the digestive system, most commonly in the stomach.
Chelsea urges those experiencing constipation to monitor their symptoms for signs of something more serious. Her story was even read in Parliament during discussions leading to the Rare Cancers Act, passed this year. “The cancer is so rare that I'd never heard of it. There needs to be more awareness of the symptoms,” she said.
