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Netball Star's Mother Hid Terminal Cancer Diagnosis
14 Apr
Summary
- Maureen Fawns hid her terminal ovarian cancer from her daughters.
- The diagnosis came on the day after Sophie Fawns' 18th birthday.
- Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed late, with symptoms not always obvious.
Sophie Fawns, a professional netball player for Manchester Thunder, is raising awareness about ovarian cancer, a disease that claimed her mother, Maureen, at age 52.
Maureen Fawns was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and kept her terminal diagnosis a secret from her four daughters, including Sophie. She passed away just a day after Sophie's 18th birthday in November 2021.
Sophie recalls her mother's final words, "Tomorrow will look after itself," delivered on her birthday. This period was followed by her mother's swift decline and death, a situation many of Maureen's friends were unaware was imminent.
Now 22, Sophie is urging for open conversations about gynecological health. She highlights that ovarian cancer is frequently diagnosed late due to non-obvious symptoms, affecting approximately 4,000 women annually in the UK alone.
She emphasizes the critical importance of early detection, stating that education about the disease needs to begin at a grassroots level. Sophie moved to Manchester for her netball career, a path her mother had always supported.
