An 18 year old girl has died after doctors repeatedly failed to spot that she had an aggressive form of stomach cancer.
Georgia Marrison, from South Yorkshire, began to feel tired and run down in May 2014 while studying for her A level exams.
She would also vomit every time she ate and would wake up with swollen eyes.
Georgia sought medical help from an NHS walk-in centre and was diagnosed with severe anaemia.
But despite taking iron tablets her condition rapidly deteriorated. She continued to vomit after eating and lost two stone, at one point collapsing at a doctor’s appointment.
The prospective English Literature student repeatedly returned to her GP, but each time was told she had anaemia.
At one point her GP attributed her symptoms to an eating disorder, saying: “I know what you 18 year olds are like for wanting to look like stick insects.”
It was only when Georgia’s mother took her daughter to A&E in September 2014 that doctors found she had stomach cancer. It had spread to her eyes and ovaries, and she also had meningitis – a rare side effect of cancer.
Sadly nothing could be done to treat Georgia’s condition and she died just two months later.
“Abandoned by doctors”
Talking of the missed diagnosis, Georgia’s mother Joanne said: “I felt abandoned by doctors and had nowhere to turn.”
“The doctor said to her ‘Georgia you are looking very pale and I know what you 18 year old girls are like for wanting to look like stick insects.’”
“I was really taken aback because he hadn’t even spoken to her. I was quite shocked because he had prejudged her. He diagnosed her with dietary anaemia.”
“After that we went to the GP and every time we went back it was ‘yes, she has severe anaemia.’”
She added: “We went to the doctors in June and we kept getting nowhere with GPs after that. She was wasting away before my eyes and I took her to A&E in the September and I said I wasn’t leaving until somebody helps me.”
“She was ignored so many times and it was all because she was a teenager and it has got to stop. If GPs are just going to ignore the warning signs because they are 13, 19 and 20 then it’s just wrong.”
Speak to a solicitor
If you or your loved one has suffered because doctors failed to diagnose cancer, please do not hesitate to talk to a solicitor about your experience. There may be a case of medical negligence.
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