Young Milton Keynes mum diagnosed with rare aggressive cancer urges other women not to ignore these common symptoms

Laura Dickson at first ignored her symptoms of frequent urination, upset stomachs and bloating at the beginning of last year, thinking she was suffering from IBS.

But, after several trips to the GP and hospital as her symptons grew worse, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer last May – and told by doctors that “things were not looking good” for her future.

"It was so traumatic. My two sons are only four and six and I thought I wouldn’t be there to see them grow up. We went through a terrible time trying to come to terms with it,” she said.

Then further tests showed the cancer was not as straightforward as it seemed and at first the oncologists were baffled by what had grown to be a football-sized tumour in Lauren’s pelvis.

In July, after being referred to the Royal Marsden in London, she learned the ovarian cancer diganosis was, in fact, wrong. Instead she had a stage 4 primitive neuroecterdermal tumour (PNET) stemming from the ovaries, one of the rarest and most aggressive forms of germ cell cancers in women.

It had spread to her stomach, liver and other parts of her body.

But instead of a death sentence, Lauren was given a chance for the cancer to tackled and reduced to a size where it was possible that she could live with it.

She underwent surgery and months of highly aggresive chemotherapy that left her hospitalised with complications, including two bouts of sepsis, after each round and caused a seven stone weight loss.

"Somehow we coped, “ said Lauren, who lives on Fishermead.

“My boys, Oliver and Arlo, are real mummy’s boys. Their dad Sean works full-time and I’ve always been their main caregiver. Suddenly I was backwards and forwards to hospital al the time and their lives really changed.

"But they’ve been so wonderful and so well behaved throughout it all. I want to take them on a special holiday this year to thank them and enjoy some cherished family time together.”

Lauren has launched a GoFundMe page with the aim of raising £1,500 for a family trip to Majorca or Disneyland Paris as the boys have never been abroad before.

You can view the page here.

"It’s not just a holiday – it’s about giving my boys moments of joy and laughter to hold onto, and for Sean and I to share precious time as a family in an environment free from hospital appointments and treatments… But there’s not way we could afford it on Sean’s wages as a fireplace fitter,” she said.

Lauren also hopes the fundraiser will prompt other young woman to get checked and not dismiss certain symptoms as harmless.

"I want to spread the message about early detection. By the time I was diagnosed, my tumour was the size of a small football,” she said.

"I also want people to know that cancer need not be a death sentence, even at stage 4. Doctors will never get rid of the cancer completely but they can shrink it it to a size where I can live with it and hopefully see my boys grow up.”