A mother from the West Midlands has shared her profound gratitude for being alive 16 years after a persistent sore throat led to a shock diagnosis of an incurable blood cancer.
A Life-Changing Sore Throat
In 2009, Deb Gascoyne, then a 34-year-old active mother-of-two from Hagley, began experiencing a recurring sore throat. "It felt like a golf ball in my throat and I was wiped out from it every month," she recalled. A routine visit to her GP took an unexpected turn when a nurse decided on a whim to send off blood samples alongside a throat swab.
That split-second decision proved fateful. The results led to further scans and a bone marrow biopsy, confirming in July 2009 that Mrs Gascoyne had smouldering myeloma, an early form of the blood cancer. Doctors told her she was "too young" for such a diagnosis, leaving her "totally shellshocked."
Facing Fear and Finding Hope
Researching her condition, Mrs Gascoyne encountered bleak life expectancy statistics of two to five years. "Then there was that whole fear and emotion of not seeing your children grow up," she said, referring to her children Rebecca and Sam, who were then just two and four years old.
About a year later, her condition progressed to active cancer. She was placed on the Myeloma XI trial in 2010, which included chemotherapy. Her first stem cell transplant followed in July 2011, leading to eight years of partial remission. She has since relapsed twice, in 2019 and November 2024, undergoing a second transplant in 2020 and starting new maintenance treatment in December 2024.
Connecting with others through the charity Myeloma UK was transformative. "They were really instrumental in helping me realise that I could still have a life and have myeloma," she said.
A Legacy of Fundraising and Family Milestones
Throughout her journey, Mrs Gascoyne, now 50, has channelled her energy into fundraising with a target of £250,000 for Myeloma UK. To date, she has raised an incredible £248,100 through challenges including the Yorkshire Three Peaks and a '40 pubs in 40 hours' event.
Her final push to reach her goal will be a cycle from London to Paris in May, where she will be joined by family, her medical team, and other patients. As she approaches 17 years since her diagnosis, her focus is on making memories with her husband Nick and their now-adult children.
"I've seen my kids hit their major birthdays... and you just think, those were things I could only have dreamt of when I first got that diagnosis," she said. "I am really lucky and really blessed."
Mrs Gascoyne urges others to listen to their bodies and remain positive, stating that her story shows "there is always hope."
