Our Story
One of our close friend’s daughter, Charlotte Simpson was sadly diagnosed with bowel cancer in January 2020 and sadly died on the 22 May 2020, just months after turning 18.
Charlotte first visited the doctors with symptoms of extreme pain, loss of appetite, weight loss and exhaustion in October 2019. Blood tests came back negative and the family believe doctors were reluctant to suspect bowel cancer because of her young age. Eventually, weeks later, she was admitted to hospital for a colonoscopy, but she was in such agony the procedure wasn't possible. Subsequent scans revealed a tumour and Charlotte was diagnosed with bowel cancer in January 2020. .
Charlotte underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Then in April 2020, Charlotte and her family were given the devastating news that she had just weeks left to live and on May 22, she died. Charlotte was one of the youngest people ever to die from the disease, which is more common in people over 50, however there are an increasing number of people in the UK under the age of 50 being diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Charlotte’s family are really keen to raise awareness of the fact that bowel cancer can affect anyone of any age - even teenagers. They're urging anyone who displays symptoms not to take no for an answer, and to insist that bowel cancer is considered earlier.
Charlotte loved life, loved her family and friends, she was such a beautiful girl inside and out, taken too soon and will never be forgotten.
I wanted to set up a fund in loving memory of Charlotte to raise funds for Young Lives vs Cancer, one of the charities that supported Charlotte and her family.
Amanda – family friend to the Simpson family of Sarah, David, Charlotte and Elliott.