Candice says her son already lost his father when he was nine and she is now battling to stay with him
A teenager whose dad died when he was nine could now be ‘left alone’ as his mum is battling stage four cancer. Candice Powell previously beat cancer after a diagnosis in 2019 when a smear showed abnormal cells.
Back then she was concerned about her son, and her fears have resurfaced as the cancer has returned. In 2019, Candice suffered frequent bleeding, back pain and difficulty urinating. Candice, 29, said: “I was just so scared and worried about my son – he already lost his dad when he was nine, and he’s been through a lot. I just wanted to protect him.”
After gruelling rounds of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Candice was told she was in remission in 2020. The mum who co-owned a cleaning company with her sister said: “I had come out the other end, was getting back to normal, building my business up, and then it all just came to a complete stop. It’s like I took two steps forward and 10 back.”
In May last year, Candice went to Maidstone Hospital after experiencing frequent vomiting, pain and feeling “something wasn’t right”. Doctors took a CT scan before telling her she had gastritis and discharged her.
But after her symptoms persisted, she returned two months later in July, where another scan was taken, and she was told again she was fine and sent home. Candice said: “You go to the hospital, and then you sit there, and you start to think ‘I’m actually alright – I’m overthinking it’, but my body was doing the right thing. They rang me the morning after I’d gone home and said there had been a mix-up.”
The first scan had picked up an abnormality, but Candice had not been informed. The second showed a mass which raised concerns. She said: “When they actually told me – it was just shocking. They failed me. They were meant to be looking after me. Obviously, I was in remission, but you come back every year.
“You would think that with someone who had cancer, they would make sure.”
A spokesperson for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said Candice has shared her concerns with them directly, and they have responded to the issues she has raised and will continue to liaise with her. By early August, it was confirmed that Candice’s cervical cancer had returned. It is now stage four.
It has metastasised in three areas of her body, including near the sciatic nerve in her left leg. In November, she underwent an operation at The Royal Marsden Hospital in London to remove the tumour, which by this point had grown to the size of a toilet roll tube.
She also underwent a hysterectomy and had a colostomy bag fitted. Candice said: “Sometimes I think maybe if I’d been told before, and got the treatment when I needed it, would all this be happening? Would my body be changed like it is now?
“I’ve got a son out here that needs me – he’s lost his dad. You go to the hospital to get help, and you don’t get it.”
Next month, the mum is set to begin chemotherapy treatment, but with the cancer progressing aggressively and a poor prognosis, it is expected to only prolong her life rather than cure her. But after researching alternatives, they have found a private oncology centre based in Dornstetten, Germany, called the Hallwang Clinic, which could help her.
They need at least £50,000 to even start the immunotherapy treatment. To help raise the funds, a GoFundMe page has been set up. Candice said: “All I want is to be a normal person – I just want to go to work, go home, and just get on with it.
“I don’t want to be asking people for any help. I hate it. It’s just weird for me to actually have to do this. But, I need to hurry up – time is not on my side, but there is someone out there who can help me.”
The mum fears that if she is unable to raise the money, her son Charlie, 17, who she describes as her “best mate”, could be left without both his parents. Speaking on the treatment, she said: “It’s giving me hope, but I just need the money to get there.
“People are walking in that clinic with stage four cancer and walking out cancer-free or in remission. I’ve got to do this for my friends, my family and my son – he is my main priority.”
A spokesperson for Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said: “We recognise how difficult it is for any patient to move from a period of remission to facing another cancer diagnosis, and we understand the impact this has on them and their family. While we cannot discuss individual cases publicly, Candice has shared her concerns with us directly, and we have responded to the issues she has raised and will continue to liaise with her.
“We are continuing to provide her with care and support, and we encourage any patient who has further questions or worries about their treatment to get in touch with us so we can help.”
