A mum who was told her pains were due to Crohn's disease has died surrounded by her loved ones after she lost her battle with bowel cancer.
Emma Egerton was diagnosed with ulcerated colitis when she was aged 11, which then progressed to Crohn's disease. Ever since then, the mum-of-one had been living with the "crippling illness".
Emma began to seek help for certain symptoms such as chronic fatigue and abdominal pain, but she was told it was due to Crohn's and so "plodded on". But earlier this year, she was given the devastating diagnosis that she had stage four bowel cancer.
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Tragically, the family announced that the disease had "progressed far more quickly than imagined" and Emma lost her battle with cancer on December 10, when she died surrounded by her loved ones. The news was announced online as people were thanked for their generosity and support.
Emma's journey inspired many people, including Sarah Long who said she "had to do something". Sarah will now run eight miles a day, a total of 248 miles in January. Anyone wishing to donate to Sarah's fundraiser can do so here.
A fundraiser was previously set up by family friends for treatment, which will now go towards Emma's young son Oliver. Announcing the sad news, the fundraiser reads: "On behalf of Emma’s family, we are devastated to announce that our beautiful angel passed away on Saturday 10th December, surrounded by her loved ones. Sadly this cruel disease progressed far more quickly than imagined and Emma was not able to receive the treatment she was hoping for.
"The family would like to thank all of the staff on ward A2 at Whiston hospital and the MacMillan staff for everything they have done to try and make Emma comfortable and to support her family through what has been such a difficult time.
"They would also like to thank everyone who has been generous enough to donate to Emma’s Fight, you have all been unbelievable generous during such hard times, and hope people will understand that all the money raised will go towards a trust fund for her special little boy Oliver."
Sarah said she was brought to tears hearing the news as she told the ECHO: "She's got a little boy and I have three kids, it really brought me to tears thinking of him. I asked if the family would be happy for me to do something for Oliver because I felt we needed to do something, it just felt like the right thing to do."
Sarah herself was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30 and was given an 8% chance of living to 40. But now at the age of 48, she is now "cancer free" and said the positive outlook really helped, something which she saw from Emma.
She added: "I kept positive, running really helped and when I read Emma's story I saw she kept hope with the chance of treatment. I had radiotherapy and chemotherapy but I do think the whole positive attitude helped me.
"I'm not cancer free which is why it hits hard and raising awareness of any type of cancer is really positive. I'd urge people not to put off getting symptoms checked and do check regularly but also keep positive and have hope."
Despite living with the gruelling illness, Emma had been "determined to live her life" as she worked with the homeless. Anyone wishing to donate to the fundraiser can do so here.
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