Gemma Small, 33, was told a cancer she hoped had been successfully treated had in fact spread to her liver, resulting in a devastating diagnosis that has shattered a young family
A new mum was told she has incurable cancer just weeks after giving birth. Gemma Small, 33, was dealt the devastating blow shortly after having baby Samuel – and the diagnosis comes after she battled cancer in the back of her eye in 2022.
She was diagnosed with uveal melanoma after visiting the opticians and at first, optometrists believed Gemma had a detached retina until specialists found the cancer. Gemma had spent several years being diagnosed with other conditions such as lupus. Doctors told Gemma, who lives in Horwich, Greater Manchester, that uveal melanoma is not typically a cancer that appears in people so young.
She then underwent proton beam therapy, which doctors believed had been successful. Her partner Ciaren Hughes, also 33, told Mirror affiliate The Manchester Evening News: “You can never be 100 per cent sure, but the doctors believed the treatment had done the job and killed the cancer off.”
But following a scan just weeks after giving birth, results showed a sinister shadow on her liver. Ciaren said: “They said that if there’s one place it can come back, it’ll be the liver, so Gemma was sent for scans every six months.”
In the spring of 2024, their dreams came true when they learned they were expecting a baby boy. “Gemma even had a scan in between finding out we were expecting and before our son was born and there was nothing showing up,” Ciaren said.
The tragedy hit weeks after Samuel was born in early February with scans showing the shadow on Gemma’s liver. “Gemma even left me at home for that scan and went on her own, we thought there’d be nothing,” Ciaren said.
“We were just immediately filled with shock and dread. We were trying to tell ourselves it could be anything. But when a 33-year-old is found with something on their liver, it’s normally not something pleasant.”
Gemma was sent to the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool for more scans and was told the cancer had spread – and that it was incurable. The only option for the young family was to try and get treatments so they could have as much time together as possible.
Test results have since left the family stuck with no viable treatments being available on the NHS due to the complexities of Gemma’s other long-term conditions. The “only option” they were given was to raise money for private treatment at The Christie cancer hospital in Manchester.
“I feel robbed,” said Ciaren. “We understand that this isn’t something that’s going to disappear. We can only get as much time as possible and as many memories as possible. And in that time, Gemma will likely be going through gruelling treatments and operations.”
The family has since started a GoFundMe campaign in the hope of raising £200,000 to pay for treatment. Four sessions are needed and they cost £46,000 each time.
“Having to go private is not something we feel comfortable doing, but it’s something we’re going to have to do and ask people to help with,” said Ciaren. “We just want everyone to know how thankful we are to have their help.”
Any left over funds will be donated to help others who need life-saving or life-extending treatments as well as toward research to find a cure. Since the campaign was launched, the family has raised £17,697 as of Wednesday morning.
