Amelia Ellerby from York, UK, reported having a lump in her back for over a year, but was only referred for phone appointments. By the time she finally got to the office, it was too late – the cancer had spread to much of her upper body. The woman died at the age of 19, her funeral was held on Thursday.
19-year-old Amelia Ellerbe passed away on June 12. Less than a month ago, an X-ray showed that the cancer had already spread to much of her upper body and that she had no more than two months to live. However, the family of the deceased is convinced that the chances of a cure would have been much higher if the cancer had been checked earlier – the woman had tried unsuccessfully to see a doctor for more than a year.
bump on the back
Amelia Ellerbey made her first attempt to contact her family doctor at Priory Medical Center in York in February 2021. She then complained of a pain in her back and discovered a nagging lump there. On the hotline, I heard she had to fill out an online form. Having done that, she was scheduled to pay a television visit.
19-year-old Amelia Ellerbe passed away in June 2022gofundme.com
Based on information from Amelia over the phone, the doctor concluded that the pain was probably due to a harmless cyst. He also requested a CT scan, but the waiting time for this scan was six months.
Six weeks after the first television visit, the young man called the clinic in York again. She stated that the pain had worsened, and again asked to see the doctor face to face. However, I ordered to wait for the appointment.
Multiple organ metastases
In the end, for more than a year, no computed tomography was performed. Meanwhile, Amelia regularly tried to make an appointment at the office. He persuaded her to do so, among other things, by a medical family member who, in October 2021, felt a “pea-sized” lump on her back. The woman did not encounter an in-office examination until the spring of 2022, when a physician was concerned about the answers she posted on the online form.
After examining the patient, the doctor ordered her to get an X-ray and an MRI as soon as possible. Research has shown that Amelia has lung cancer, and the cancer – a malignant soft tissue sarcoma – has also spread to the stomach, liver, and lymph nodes. “The upper half of her body is covered in cancer,” said Claire Henshaw, the deceased aunt who lived with her for the past four years.
“I got over it”
Claire Henshaw confirmed in an interview with the newspaper that Amelia faced her illness boldly and tried “to be positive with everyone around her.” – I kissed him. She said she would be back with her father (who died seven years ago – editor) – added Henshaw.
Amelia was buried on Thursday 7 July in York Cemetery. As the Daily Mail announced, the theme of the party was to be superheroes. It was one of the 19-year-old’s last wishes.
A spokesperson for the hospital, which the woman eventually reached, referred to the case. He expressed his sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and provided all information regarding the treatment provided to Amelia Ellerbe. “How the appointments are set and the order for examinations such as X-rays to be carried out depends on the type of reports we receive,” he said in a statement carried by the press. “If an application is undergoing cancer screening, it will be prioritized and done quickly, usually within two weeks,” he added.
yorkpress.co.uk, Daily Mail
Main image source: gofundme.com
