My husband went to A&E 13 times. By the time he got a scan, it was too late to treat his tumours
One widow’s shattering account of NHS that put Covid ahead of cancer
AT THE start of this year, I had never been happier. I was expecting a baby with the love of my life, Sherwin Hall, the man I had first met more than twenty years ago when we were both at primary school in Bermuda. few years ago, we met again in Leeds, where we were both living, and we stayed friends for ages before we finally got together two years ago. He was the most amazing man, kind, funny, strong, and we were so excited about our future.
But now we no longer have a future together. Sherwin died two weeks ago from cancer, aged just 28. And, raw as my grief is, I feel compelled to share our story in the hope that it might help prevent other, unnecessary deaths.
Because although it was cancer that killed Sherwin, he would almost certainly still be here today if his illness had not coincided with Covid, and if the NHS had not prioritised Covid above all else, meaning that people like Sherwin were not given the right treatment at the right time.
As the Mail reports today, at least 4.4 million fewer scans took place between April and September this year compared to the same period in 2019.
And, perhaps most shockingly, more than 650,000 people with cancer in Britain have had their care disrupted because of Covid- 19, according to Macmillan Cancer Support. More than half are now worried that this might affect their chance of survival.
Now that the majority of England is under strict Tier Three restrictions, the continuing impact on the health service is likely to be bad news for cancer patients, or for anyone with troubling symptoms that should be urgently investigated.
If they are not, the consequences can be devastating.
Now, at 32, I am a widow. But back in February, Sherwin and I were in love and making plans. We were going to buy a house and have a wonderful, big wedding after the baby was born. I was finishing my law degree and was going to start my Masters later this year. Sherwin was supporting me, working as a delivery driver and dog-breeder.
We were planning to grow old together. We were so, so happy, even doing simple things together like the crossword.
When I discovered I was pregnant last year, we felt truly blessed — I suffer from polycystic ovary syndrome so I didn’t think I could get pregnant, or not easily. Sherwin, who also had a young son from a previous relationship, was over the moon.
But in February, Sherwin started getting excruciating pain in his groin. The GP thought he might have strained something in the gym and gave him anti-inflammatories but they only helped him for a couple of days.
A few days before the Covid-19 lockdown began in March he went to A&E as the pain was terrible: pain in his right leg, his right buttock and a hard lump in his rectum. He asked for a scan, but he was fobbed off and referred to a sexual health clinic, even though he protested that there was no way it could be that. They didn’t listen. By the time our son, Sancho was born on March 30, Sherwin was limping into the delivery room — he was only allowed in for the delivery itself due to Covid restrictions.
Within a few days of the birth, the pain had got so bad that he went back to A&E. This time he was told that he had an inflamed prostate — prostatitis — and was given antibiotics. But the pain had spread so he knew it couldn’t simply be his
It could’ve been cut out. He might have survived
Sherwin hoped to see our little boy’s first Christmas
prostate. He asked for a scan but was told categorically that no scans were possible, due to Covid.
It should have been a magical time with our beautiful baby boy, planning our future — we are both huge football fans and Sherwin looked forward to one day kicking a ball around with Sancho.
But the pain just got worse and worse. It was terrible to see Sherwin in agony.
Thirteen times he went to A&E at two different Leeds hospitals, in pain and begging for a scan. But each time he was told that due to Covid, MRI scans were not available, or that there would be a two-month delay.
There was excuse after excuse, all related to the pandemic.
Sherwin saw three different urologists and each insisted that he had a prostate problem that could be easily treated.
Each time we would think ‘Oh good, we can go back to normal life now.’ But the pain kept getting worse.
A fourth urologist diagnosed an abscess and arranged for it to be drained but without a scan first ‘because of Covid’.
The ‘ abscess’ was punctured and drained, but in fact it was a tumour. The procedure probably caused it to spread by giving it oxygen which encourages growth.
In June, by now in utter agony, Sherwin went yet again to A&E and saw a doctor who immediately realised that a young man with a new baby doesn’t risk coming into hospital 13 times in a pandemic
unless something is seriously wrong. He arranged an MRI scan and this was when the shocking truth was revealed.
Sherwin had a large, round cell sarcoma (a malignant tumour) measuring 14cm in his pelvis, as well as 30 small tumours on his lungs. It was a rare, but aggressive, fast-growing Stage 4 tumour — and it had spread.
When Sherwin eventually saw an oncologist, he told Sherwin that if they had caught the cancer earlier, when the tumour was much smaller, it could have been cut out — it might have been survivable.
Now it was too late to operate, all they could offer was chemotherapy.
I completely understand that resources had to be diverted to deal with coronavirus patients, but not at the expense of everyone else, such as cancer patients.
Why did they have to be sacrificed?
If cancer is caught early, it can be treated. But cancer is vicious: it doesn’t care about your feelings. If it’s left, it grows rapidly, particu-larly in young people.
Even with Sherwin’s aggressive sarcoma, he would have had a 20 per cent higher chance of survival if he had been scanned and diagnosed when he first went to hospital. At the very least, his life would have been prolonged.
All that someone with a terminal diagnosis has is time, but he was robbed of his. Sherwin wanted desperately to live as long as he could. He wanted to see Sancho go to primary school, then as his prognosis became bleaker, he hoped at least to see him take his first steps, his first Christmas, or even his first birthday.
But not only was it too late for surgery but because the chemotherapy was started so late, it didn’t work as well as it could have done. Sherwin only lived for six months after his diagnosis. It should have been at least two years.
We raised money and went to Mexico for treatment not offered by the NHS, but it failed.
In October he was given radio-therapy, but by then it was too late. It was heart-breaking to see him wither before my eyes, a big strong man of 215lb reduced to a frail 130lb, reliant on oxygen.
But Sherwin was so brave. Once, when I was exhausted from getting up in the night to care for him and the baby, I slept through Sancho’s cries.
Even though he was so weak by then he could barely stand, Sherwin got out of bed, picked Sancho up, and carried him back to our bed. It took all his strength.
He was determined to use his remaining time to help others, to make sure that other cancer patients aren’t sacrificed, dying months or years too early, because of the focus on the pandemic at the expense of all else.
This is why I am supporting the Catch Up With Cancer campaign, demanding that the Government do more to tackle the plight of people with cancer during the pandemic. It is more important now than ever, as Tier 3 restrictions make their impact on the health service and care for cancer patients suffers as a result. The Govern-ment claims that it is now focusing on cancer care — but, as the Mail reported this week, the number of patients now waiting for cancer tests and treatment has almost doubled this year.
Leaked NHS documents reveal that the waiting list has soared from 90,000 to 160,000 people since May. Cancer Research UK called the figures ‘worrying’. That was an understatement.
To put it most starkly: it is likely that tens of thousands of people will die who might have been saved if cancer care hadn’t been devastated by switching resources to the pandemic. The final number may, in fact, exceed the death toll from Covid.
The impact is likely to be felt for years unless the Government diverts resources into cancer care right now. They are claiming that things are back to normal, but they are not.
Thanks to my involvement in the campaign, I have heard terrible stories of other lives cut short because cancer care was put aside during the pandemic.
People are still being fobbed off with excuses, there are still long
Our baby has lost his daddy, and me the love of my life
waits for scans, disruptions to chemo and radiotherapy, drug trials have been stopped and cancer patients have to attend appointments alone with no one to ask vital questions and hold their hand.
It was only when I contacted a lawyer (Mary Smith at Novum Law) that we found someone to advocate for us and guide us through the system.
When Sherwin was ill, I stayed strong. I never let him see me cry. But when he died, just two weeks ago, I felt that I died too. If it hadn’t been for Sancho, I would have wanted to. I am only speaking out today because I promised Sherwin I would fight to stop other families suffering tragedies like ours.
We had planned to marry this month, but when it became clear that time was running out, we arranged a register office wedding in November. Sherwin died three weeks later, on December 3, in hospital, holding my hand.
Before he died, Sherwin told me that Sancho had the best possible mother, and he knew I would do an amazing job. But I wish Sancho had a daddy and I wish I still had the love of my life. If it wasn’t for Covid, we would at least have had longer together, maybe even a lifetime.
I’m not angry that Sherwin got cancer but I am angry that his life was cut short because everything was pushed aside to prioritise the pandemic.
The Government must deal with the cancer emergency with urgent investment and action: it is every bit as vital as dealing with Covid. Otherwise countless other families will suffer tragedies like ours.