Kerry Fordham, a fit and healthy 70-year-old from Barry, died on August 15, just weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her daughter, Braidey Lewis, is now raising awareness of the disease, which she describes as a 'silent killer' because it often shows few symptoms until it is too late.
Up until February, Kerry had been active, walking everywhere and often mistaken for being in her fifties. In June, completely out of the blue, she received the devastating diagnosis, and she returned home for only eight days after that before her death. Braidey told WalesOnline: "It was hell on earth. It was so traumatic to see her like that. She walked everywhere, she was still agile in her job and did more than anyone else."
From first symptoms to diagnosis
Kerry, who had retired three years before her death but still worked one day a week, first noticed she wasn't feeling her usual self in February. She went back and forth to the doctors for several tests, but nothing indicated pancreatic cancer until she couldn't keep any food down. "She did everything by the book, she went to the doctors a few times from February onwards and they sent her for blood, urine and stool samples," Braidey explained.
In March, tests showed high cholesterol, and Kerry was put on a low dosage of statins. Despite the medication, she didn't feel better and began suffering with leg pain, prompting another visit to the doctors where all tests again came back normal. From mid-May until her diagnosis in early June, her family noticed she was losing weight and suffering with indigestion. On Thursday, June 4, when she couldn't make it around the shops, Braidey knew something was seriously wrong.
Diagnosis and final weeks
Kerry went to hospital the next day, and tests showed deranged liver enzymes, which she and Braidey were reassured could be managed and healed. However, on the Sunday, Kerry couldn't eat anything without throwing up. On Monday, June 8, the mother and daughter were advised to go straight to Llandough Hospital, where they received the diagnosis that Kerry had a massive tumour on her pancreas.
After diagnosis, Kerry returned home for five days before a gruelling six-week hospital stay, during which she was unable to eat and had two stents fitted - one in her bile duct and one in her duodenum. She then returned home for three days before being moved to the Marie Curie hospice in Penarth for palliative care, having been told she had only a few weeks to live. Surrounded by family, Kerry died at 3.30pm on Saturday, August 15.
Community tribute and awareness campaign
Kerry had lived in Barry her whole life and worked at the Mount Rooms Hotel for almost 30 years. The hotel paid tribute to their longest-serving staff member, saying: "Kerry was an incredibly special part of our team, having worked at the hotel for an incredible 27 years and becoming our longest-serving member of staff."
Braidey, who was supposed to be in Spain with her mum on the day she is now burying her, cannot believe that tumour marker tests aren't done earlier. She said: "I'm angry that in 2026 you can go to space but there's nothing they can do to test to catch it early enough and see there's something wrong with the pancreas. I'm just baffled." According to Pancreatic Cancer UK, the illness has the lowest survival rate of all common cancers, with five-year survival at less than 7%, and more than half of people die within three months of diagnosis. Braidey is fundraising for Pancreatic Cancer UK.
