A mother whose gallstones turned out to be stage-four cancer has blasted doctors for waiting five months to test a mass on her pancreas.
When Kanisha Collins, 24, was diagnosed with pancreatitis at Royal Chesterfield Hospital in December, she didn’t think to question their expert judgment.
After all, they were in close contact with a team of specialists over at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield, one of just four dedicated cancer centres in the UK.
And the coalition of doctors persistently stuck to its guns, even after a second CT scan in February showed a persistent mass on her pancreas and a worsening blood clot.
But then the pain got worse.
Rushed to hospital just weeks after being told the mass was ‘benign’, Kanisha, who has a two-year-old daughter, was hit with the discovery of lesions on her liver and the news that staff would finally be performing a biopsy.
On May 19, she was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer which had spread to the liver, after months of doctors insisting she was too young to be struck with the illness.
A day after starting chemotherapy at Weston Park, Kanisha, whose father Dean has raised more than £4,000 for her family on GoFundMe, told MailOnline she blamed specialists at both hospitals for acting too slowly to spot her, now incurable, cancer.
Kanisha Collins, who has stage-four cancer, pictured with her daughter Amaya. She has criticised doctors for waiting five months to test a mass on her pancreas
A day after starting chemotherapy at Weston Park Cancer Centre, she has issued a heartbreaking indictment of specialists at two hospitals, who were too slow to spot the cancer
She told MailOnline: ‘This was all because they wouldn’t test the mass on my pancreas, because they didn’t think somebody my age would have pancreatic cancer.
‘I’ve been failed by both hospitals in a way, but I feel like my consultant could have done more at the time.
‘The reason they didn’t was because of my age. Unfortunately, when they told me [I had cancer] it was too late and incurable.
‘Absolutely [I feel let down]. Cancer [diagnoses] should never [be based] off somebody’s age.
‘It should always be tested, no matter what, no matter how old you are, it should be tested from the get go and not left because they think you’re too young.
‘I felt discriminated against because I was so young. My kind of cancer is actually genetic and my daughter has to be tested down the line.’
Before her diagnosis, Kanisha’s life had been gathering pace. Her daughter Amaya had just turned two and she was about to get married to her partner Mason.
The wedding had long been in the diary for this Saturday, but no one could ever have anticipated it would fall at the end of her first week of chemotherapy.
Kanisha pictured with her two-year-old daughter and her partner Mason, who she is getting married to on Saturday
The mother is hoping to visit Cornwall, her favourite holiday destination since she was a young girl, with Amaya during the remaining time they have together
‘I feel heartbroken, because obviously I have a two-year-old daughter at home,’ she said. ‘I get married on Saturday and I had all that to look forward to in the future.
‘But that’s been cut short unfortunately.’
Sitting by her side during her first night of chemo, her father Dean chimed in: ‘They’re getting married on Saturday, which was planned last year, but cancer wasn’t planned.
‘The idea is, once they’ve got married, to go to the sit down meal. Then once we’ve done that, I’ll take her back home so she can have a rest before coming back to spend a bit of time with the evening guests.
‘She’s going to have a break in between all that to recharge her batteries.’
Kanisha’s chemotherapy battle is in its early days, but her stoicism in the wake of her life being turned upside down has taken even her parents by surprise.
‘Before all this, I was a fit and healthy person and now I can barely do day-to-day walking tasks, because I just get out of breath,’ she said.
‘I’m on chemo, I’m tired, so it’s hard, but I suppose I’ve got to look for the positive side, that the chemo will shrink enough to give me many years down the line.
A fundraiser, set up by her father Dean, has soared past £4,000 in donations and will go towards a family holiday as well as easing the strain on finances
‘We’re all staying positive about it and hoping that treatment will shrink my tumours enough to give me a few years.’
Her father added: ‘She actually seems stronger than both me and her mum. She’s got to be strong for herself and for her daughter and partner.’
Dean reacted to Kanisha’s diagnosis by setting up a Gofundme, drawing on his experience looking after his sister, who died with cancer, as well as the writing skills of his older daughter’s boyfriend, to create an already-flying donation page.
The fundraiser earned £4,000 in its first 24 hours, receiving more than 150 donations.
Its aims are two-fold: to give Kanisha the opportunity to enjoy what time she has left with her daughter, and to help her soon-to-be husband in the tough times ahead.
The Gofundme’s soaring success has been a rare source of positivity for the mother, following an incredibly difficult five months.
She said: ‘It’s just to give myself and my family a good holiday and to make those lasting memories. And to not have to worry about the financial side of things, so we can do things as a family.
‘At the moment, unfortunately, I’m not able to fly due to the fact I’m on intense chemotherapy, but my main goal is a nice family holiday down in Cornwall. It’s always been my favourite place to go since being a little girl.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital, pictured, initally diagnosed Kanisha with pancreatitis when she first visited doctors in December, complaining of gallstones
‘And just being able to show my daughter the other parts of England that I’ve been able to see.
‘Eventually after my chemo, if it is successful, I would like to take her on that family holiday abroad, if it is possible. That’s my main goal.
‘It’s for my daughter’s future as well, just so I know she’s going to have a good life.’
Dean added: ‘The frustrating thing about it is [the delay in diagnosis]. It was a catalogue of errors between the two hospitals. That’s how it seems to me.
‘One set not talking to the other and then the other people just don’t seem to be wanting to to push it further forward, to do further tests, purely because she was young.
‘So my aim now is to bring further awareness out there, with regards to cancer, because there’s loads of people out there who have experienced it.’
Dr Hal Spencer, Chief Executive of Chesterfield Royal Hospital said: ‘We always strive to give the best care, and we are sorry to hear of Kanisha’s experience.
‘Throughout, her care has always been considered seriously, and we have consulted with regional specialist colleagues who were advising us on her care and management.
They stuck with their judgment despite liaising with specialists at Weston Park Cancer Centre, pictured, where she is now undergoing chemotherapy
‘We would encourage Kanisha and her family to contact us, and we will support them in a full review of her care in order that we can understand the decisions taken and the management advice given.
‘This will help inform our internal reviews already underway.’
MailOnline has contacted Weston Park Cancer Centre for comment.
You can donate to Dean Collins’s Gofundme here.
