Woman complained of again ache for 9 months earlier than loss of life aged simply 22

Leah Smith, 22, from Woolton, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that affects the bones and soft tissue, after experiencing back pain for nine months

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A young woman who repeatedly complained of back pain has tragically died at just 22. Leah Smith, from Woolton, began experiencing the troubling symptoms in early 2018.

Leah subsequently lost all sensation in her left leg, which made her realise something was seriously amiss, yet medics continued to struggle with identifying the underlying cause. Her mother Jenny explained: “She had pain in her lower back on the left side.

“We kept going to the doctors about it, but with her being so young and the observations coming back all healthy, they were scratching their heads. We had various scans done and nothing ever showed up.

“After 10 months of back and forth, Leah was in so much pain that she collapsed and we got rushed to hospital.”

In October 2019, Leah finally received a diagnosis of Ewing’s sarcoma, an uncommon cancer affecting bones and soft tissue. The disease predominantly strikes children and teenagers, with the majority of cases occurring in those aged between 10 and 20, reports the Liverpool Echo.

Leah amassed a substantial TikTok following by chronicling her experience of living with the illness before passing away on the morning of March 11 2024.

Jenny is now supporting a petition urging the government to introduce compulsory cancer training for all GPs across England. This would mandate that every GP undertakes standardised training covering cancer warning signs, including formal assessment, regular revalidation, NHS England oversight, and General Medical Council (GMC) connections to enhance early detection.

Jenny and her son Liam are convinced Leah’s life could have been spared with an early diagnosis.

The ECHO contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for comment. In a statement released earlier this month to CambridgeshireLive regarding the petition, a government spokesperson said it is “taking action to improve early diagnosis”.

They stated that, while the petitioners’ demands fall beyond the government’s direct responsibility, it remains “committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with cancer of all ages”.

Speaking to the ECHO this week about her support for the campaign, Jenny, 41, also from Woolton, said: “As soon as I saw it, I was like, ‘oh my God, we’ve got to help with that, that definitely needs to happen.’ I really hope that it comes into play. From what I saw, it reached 10,000 signatures within five days, I think.

“Leah was about 10, 12 months back and forth to doctors. We got sent to every scan going apart from an MRI, the one that’ll pick up cancer. I always say to Liam, I’m not angry with the doctors. The doctors did try, it’s not their fault.”

Jenny is convinced mandatory training could have preserved her life. She said: “[Mandated training] definitely could have [saved her life]. That’s what we’re noticing with Ewing’s sarcoma – it’s an aggressive tumour, but if people can catch it early, it can be helped.

“It’s just a tumour and it just grows in one place. It doesn’t spread until later on. When Leah was a teenager, they said that she was depressed and it caused chronic pain.

“Leah’s been gone two years now, so it’s eight years since Leah first walked into that doctor’s office. And in that eight years, there have been so many young kids diagnosed with cancer and they need help.”

Jenny, alongside her son Liam, has established Leah’s Little Sunflowers. They hope the community interest company will offer opportunities for those battling serious illnesses and their families to enjoy holidays, drawing inspiration from the getaways they shared with Lisa before her passing.

Earlier this month, the government referenced its National Cancer Plan and Jess’s Rule when responding to the petition. The rule takes its name from Jessica Brady, who passed away in December 2020 at the age of 27 from cancer.

The complete government statement read: “Alongside the relevant bodies which set the standards and training curricula that doctors must follow, the Government is taking action to improve early diagnosis through the National Cancer Plan for England and the introduction of Jess’s Rule.

“While the requests of the petitioners sit outside the direct remit of the government, we are committed to improving the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of people with cancer of all ages.

“The Government’s central ambition is that by 2035, three in four people diagnosed with cancer will be cancer-free or living well five years after diagnosis – up from roughly 60 per cent today. Achieving this would save hundreds of thousands of lives and make England a world leader in cancer survival. Improving outcomes in primary care will play a key role in this.

“Through initiatives in the National Cancer Plan, primary care teams will be equipped to spot signs that could indicate cancer.”

They added: “The training curriculum for postgraduate trainee GPs is set by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), and has to meet the standards set by the General Medical Council (GMC). The RCGP provides a number of resources on cancer prevention, diagnosis, and care for GPs, relevant for the primary care setting.

“All UK-registered doctors are expected to meet the professional standards set out in the GMC’s Good Medical Practice.

“GPs are responsible for ensuring their own clinical knowledge remains up to date and for identifying learning needs as part of their continuing professional development. This activity should include taking account of new research and developments in guidance, such as that produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to ensure that they can continue to provide high-quality care to all patients.”