Gemma had been diagnosed with Cervical Cancer when her second routine Pap Smear Test in October 2019 at the age of 28 had came back abnormal so she had to be tested again, and again, and again, 3 months later then aged 29 we was told she had ‘early stages’ of Cervical Cancer…..just like that, out of the blue, No Symptoms, No Illness, No Nothing!
By June 2020 the cancer had escalated, spread through her lymph nodes and
developed into Stage 4 incurable ‘but treatable’ cancer.
Gem was a health & fitness fanatic, she had a physically demanding job which she was passionate about working on Superyachts as a Florist and Head of Department, she was a professionally trained dancer and had danced form the age of 3 years old, she had trained as a dance / fitness instructor and became a passionate ‘yogi’ around 10 years ago before making a career change and following her brother into the yachting industry, she continued to practice yoga every day (when she could) and would encourage her work colleagues to join her, she had started training to become a yoga instructor so that she could teach yoga to fellow crew members and guests onboard the yachts, she loved to walk everywhere (when she could) and went on regular hikes, she was always slim and healthy and not a child or adult that was always sick,
the comment I heard the most when she was diagnosed was ‘ but she is so fit and healthy’
cancer does not discriminate, it will get anyone regardless of
weight, health, fitness, race or gender!
After a year of various surgeries and procedures including a hysterectomy and 6 months of aggressive chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Gemma’s treatment had finished on Christmas Eve in December 2020, a PET scan then revealed that there was NED (no evidence of disease) the cancer had ‘gone to sleep’ which was fantastic to hear, it didn’t mean she was cured as the cancer was incurable but it meant that aslong as it stayed ’sleeping’ and laying dormant she could get on and lead a relatively normal life, even going back to work when she felt well and strong enough to, as you can imagine we was all so happy and excited, Gemma was making plans to return to work and travelling again which she loved to do and she was absolutely glowing.
We was told that for the next 5 years she would have to have scans and blood tests every 3 months to check that it was still sleeping and along as it was she could get on with her life aslong as she was back in London every 3 months for her scan appointments.
Three months later after the first 3 monthly routine scan along with blood tests to measure cancer markers legions were found on Gemma’s liver consistent to the cancer she had and her cancer markers were up again which meant it was awake again, within 4 weeks those legions doubled and the cancer appeared to be spreading aggressively,
Gemma had more procedures this time on her liver, one of which put her into intensive care for 5 days due to complications where she was totally on her own again due to bloody covid!
This particular procedure was meant to be straight forward and only a 24hr stay in hospital, after recovering from this she began chemotherapy again but as the weeks went on we found out the cancer was spreading quicker than the chemotherapy was working,
Within weeks it had spread to her back and by the beginning of October 2021
we were told it had spread to her brain,
Gemma was deteriorating rapidly, she had given up the fight that she had been so focused on, she had been so positive, strong and determined to beat it for so long but it was eating her up aggressively and she couldn’t fight it anymore,
Gemma passed away peacefully while sleeping on Thursday 21st October 2021 age 30.
