Leah Smith, a 22-year-old woman from Woolton, tragically passed away after enduring back pain for nine months before receiving a diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer affecting bones and soft tissues.
Leah first experienced troubling symptoms in early 2018, with persistent pain in her lower back on the left side. Despite repeated visits to doctors, the cause remained elusive due to her young age and normal observations. Scans failed to detect anything unusual.
Her mother, Jenny, recounted: "She had pain in her lower back on the left side. We kept going to the doctors about it, but with her being so young and the observations coming back all healthy, they were scratching their heads. We had various scans done and nothing ever showed up."
After 10 months of uncertainty, Leah collapsed from severe pain and was rushed to hospital. In October 2019, she was finally diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a cancer that predominantly affects children and teenagers, with most cases occurring between ages 10 and 20.
Leah amassed a significant following on TikTok by documenting her journey with the illness. She passed away on the morning of March 11, 2024.
Jenny is now supporting a petition calling for compulsory cancer training for all GPs in England. The petition advocates for standardized training covering cancer warning signs, formal assessment, regular revalidation, NHS England oversight, and connections with the General Medical Council (GMC) to improve early detection.
Jenny and her son Liam firmly believe that an earlier diagnosis could have saved Leah's life. Reflecting on the campaign, Jenny said: "As soon as I saw it, I was like, 'oh my God, we've got to help with that, that definitely needs to happen.' I really hope that it comes into play. From what I saw, it reached 10,000 signatures within five days."
Leah's ordeal involved numerous doctor visits over 10 to 12 months. Despite undergoing various scans, an MRI—the test that can detect cancer—was never performed. Jenny expressed no anger toward the doctors, acknowledging they tried their best.
Jenny is convinced that mandatory training could have made a difference: "That's what we're noticing with Ewing's sarcoma - it's an aggressive tumour, but if people can catch it early, it can be helped. It's just a tumour and it grows in one place. It doesn't spread until later on. When Leah was a teenager, they said that she was depressed and it caused chronic pain."
Jenny and Liam have established Leah's Little Sunflowers, a community interest company aimed at providing holidays for those battling serious illnesses and their families, inspired by the getaways they shared with Leah.
In response to the petition, a government spokesperson stated that while the requests fall outside direct government remit, they are committed to improving cancer diagnosis and outcomes. The government referenced its National Cancer Plan and Jess's Rule, named after Jessica Brady who died from cancer at age 27. The goal is that by 2035, three in four people diagnosed with cancer will be cancer-free or living well five years after diagnosis.
