Chelsea Gallimore, a 30-year-old mother from Prescot, said her and her family's life "changed forever" after she woke up one day unable to move. She described the pain as "unlike anything" she had felt before and said she "didn't feel herself." The mum-of-one first experienced symptoms of a swollen tummy and fatigue in 2024 and is now using social media to spread awareness.
Diagnosis and Treatment
After being taken to hospital by ambulance, Chelsea underwent scans that revealed an eight-centimetre mass on her small bowel. A biopsy led to a diagnosis of a gastro-intestinal stromal tumour (GIST), a rare type of cancer with only around 900 diagnoses a year in the UK, typically affecting those aged 55 to 65. Chelsea was later told her cancer was incurable and inoperable after she initially stopped treatment due to side effects.
She said: "I stopped treatment in June 2025, and by December, that's when it had come back and it had metastasized. I had had a scan in October 2025, and that was stable. There was nothing visible on the scan."
Impact on Family
Chelsea spoke about the impact on her friends and family, including her 11-year-old son Milo and partner Andrew, 29. She added: "Me and Andrew only got engaged last month, because we planned to get married when I was in the hospice. But then I wanted to be with family and friends. So that's why we're getting married in a couple of months, just to be with family and friends."
"They can't give me a prognosis of how long I've got left to live. So I just have a scan every three months, and it's basically seeing if treatment is still working every three months, and then go from there."
Raising Awareness
Chelsea has used her social media presence to openly document her cancer journey, helping to keep friends and family updated while raising awareness of GIST, its symptoms, and the reality of living with a rare, incurable cancer. Her story was even read in Parliament during discussions that led to the Rare Cancers Act, passed this year.
She is speaking out on GIST Awareness Day (July 13) and hopes that being diagnosed at a young age will encourage others to "listen to their bodies." She said: "Everyone knows their bodies better than anyone else. If something doesn't feel right, keep asking questions."
Chelsea has connected with others diagnosed with this rare cancer through social media. She said: "I did a lot of research, and I joined groups on Facebook. There's quite a couple of Facebook groups and then there's a website, GIST Cancer UK, so I got in touch with them. I've spoken to people who are not from Liverpool and who've had it. And then on TikTok, I found somebody. She lives in Cornwall, she's 35, and she was diagnosed with it last year."
