A heartbroken new mum has been left widowed after her "kind and generous" husband died of cancer at the age of 30 following a misdiagnosis.
Charlie Crawford's devastated wife, Sam, says the dad-of-one's death was worsened by the fact his misdiagnosis delayed vital treatment for the cancer in his digestive system.
Mrs Crawford, 27, said her husband was only ever given phone appointments and doctors would not arrange to see him in person during the Covid-19 pandemic as his symptoms became more serious.
In April 2021, Mr Crawford was booked in for a gastroscopy over the phone and given a three-month wait time.
Mr Crawford's vomiting increased and after his gastroscopy he was told he had a hiatus hernia - but doctors didn't book a follow-up appointment despite him being sick after eating.
The couple, from Havant, Hants, made daily calls to their GP practice but were only given tablets until eventually, in July 2021, they demanded to see a doctor. Mr Crawford collapsed at the surgery as his kidneys and liver were shutting down.
Mr Crawford was told he had duodenal cancer and that it would be curable with a seven-hour operation, but was later told he actually had ampullary cancer with a pancreatic sub-type instead.
Mrs Crawford said she spent a month together in hospital with her husband while she was eight months pregnant.
Around three months after the couple welcomed daughter Nellie into the world, Mr Crawford died at a hospice with Mrs Crawford holding his hand.
Now, as a fundraiser for Mrs Crawford and her daughter reaches over £13,000, Mrs Crawford has criticised the delays her husband faced as his condition worsened and accused doctors of "not taking it seriously".
She said: "People should listen to their body rather than trust that the professionals always know what they are talking about because unfortunately it is not always the case as this very much shows.
"Just because you are young doesn't mean what is wrong with you might not be serious or make you any less of a priority. You need to be your or your partner's own advocate."
In April last year Mr Crawford initially believed he had indigestion and contacted Homewell Practice in Havant.
Mrs Crawford said: "Without seeing him the doctors referred him for a gastroscopy which wasn't booked in until July 8.
"As they didn't think it was anything serious, and Charlie has always been fit and healthy, we trusted the length of time he was being asked to wait."
After his gastroscopy, he was told he had a hiatus hernia.
"The doctor we were due to see was on annual leave so they tried to cancel his appointment, Mrs Crawford added.
"I said we would not leave until a doctor had reviewed him in person so they arranged for the emergency doctor to speak to us.
"Charlie asked me to explain how he was feeling as he felt too unwell to speak.
"As I was explaining that we believed his symptoms too severe to be a hiatus hernia and that he had not kept food or drink down for weeks he fell onto the floor and began to fit.
"It turns out that he was so dehydrated his body had begun to shut down and his kidneys and liver function was almost non-existent.
"I called an ambulance and begged for the doctor to help Charlie. I was four months pregnant and really concerned that our baby would have been harmed from the stress."
Mr Crawford had a stay in hospital with operations and Mrs Crawford said "everyone was positive Charlie would recover" and, with adjuvant chemotherapy, "would be clear of the disease for some time".
However, the cancer returned after 11 weeks and this time it was terminal.
Mrs Crawford added: "We spent all of December in [hospital] after he was transferred back to begin chemotherapy, me eight months pregnant on a camp bed next to his bed each night.
"Weirdly, we remember it as a nice time together despite knowing in the back of our minds that it would be our last Christmas together."
The couple married in March this year as Mr Crawford's chemotherapy made him more unwell.
"We had the best day given the circumstances as we still felt that it was a happy occasion to celebrate our love", Mrs Crawford said.
The couple began dating in 2015, bought their first home together in 2020 and had their daughter in January of this year. Mr Crawford died in April.
Mrs Crawford believes if he had had blood taken at the beginning, his condition would not have become terminal so quickly - or possibly at all.
She believes that the doctor should have seen him in person after his symptoms worsened and added: "I think Charlie's age had a lot to play with the treatment he received."
Mrs Crawford described her husband as "kind, generous and funny", adding: "Charlie made life bigger and better in every way. He made friends with everyone he met and I have had so many messages from strangers about how missed he will be."
Dr Dominic Davis, GP partner at Homewell Practice, said: "We are all aware of this case, and know how desperately difficult it has been for the family - we offer our utmost sympathy, and have looked into the tragic events to see what, if anything, we could have done differently.
"I cannot discuss an individual case in public, but we would be keen to meet and talk with the family if that would help them, and that offer will remain in place for as long as necessary."
Tim Farmer, Mr Crawford's best friend, started a fundraiser which can be visited here.
