Sophie Jones from Whittington had big plans for 2025 including celebrating her 30^th birthday in style, marrying her longtime partner, and a long list of travel plans.

But a diagnosis of Low Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer in 2024 following years of ongoing health concerns and being told she was ‘too young for cancer’, meant Sophie’s plans had to be put on hold.

Sophie has bravely given her face, name, and story to the Lingen Davies Sunflower Appeal to help further its lifesaving fundraising and boost cancer awareness amongst younger people.

Receiving a diagnosis

After years of enduring symptoms such as water infections, passing blood, and bloating, Sophie opted to have a private consultation with a consultant urologist.

“I was always going back and forth to the doctors with water infections. They’d give me antibiotics which would clear it up and then three months later I’d have another water infection.

“I had various tests that all came back normal, but I just felt really dirty, like something was wrong with me. I would go to the toilet, wipe, and blood would be on the paper. My mum always told me that if that happened it was really bad so I went to the doctors who suggested it was a skin tag or haemorrhoid. They sent me for a colonoscopy which also came back fine.

“I then raised the question as to whether it could be ovarian cancer, but, at 24 years old, I was told I was too young. Then, in 2024, I started urinating blood. The only way I can describe it is that I couldn’t stop pushing. I also started to bloat. People would tell me I didn’t look bloated, but I know my body and what’s normal for me.”

After making the decision to go private, a CT scan revealed a large mass growing on her left fallopian tube.

“Thank God they did that scan because that’s when they found a mass on my left side. I was then sent to gynaecology requesting immediate response which is when I was sent for an emergency MRI to check if it was cancer.”

With no sign of malignancy Sophie was sent back to the NHS at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital with the expectation she would have her left fallopian tube removed.

“Thankfully I was seen pretty quickly despite there being no apparent signs of malignancy. I then had swabs, tests, and an ultrasound in September.”

“I was at work when I got a call saying the mass on my left side had grown. They wanted to get me in sooner rather than later, so I had a laparoscopy operation booked for 8^th December 2024. Unfortunately, I came out of that surgery with a request from the doctor to speak to me.”

The surgeon explained that they were unable to perform the operation as Sophie’s fallopian tube, ovary and bowel were stuck together. They also mentioned they’d taken some biopsies.

“I got upset and started crying as I had a really exciting 2025 planned and I didn’t want another operation. I had too much going on – I was turning 30, celebrating my hen do, and marrying my best friend. I was too distracted to ask what the biopsies were for.”

“On 23^rd December I had a letter to say I had an appointment a week later at gynaecology oncology at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. I’d been to the clinic there before, so I wasn’t too concerned. I was expecting to hear that I had endometriosis.

“I remember that morning so well. I was laughing, booking trips with my friends, and had plans to visit Oswestry Registry Office to see if we wanted to get married there. I wish I could see a video of myself in the waiting room.

“The nurse came out and asked if I had anyone with me but even that didn’t trigger any alarm bells. I’d also had groups of people in my appointments with me before, so I didn’t bat an eyelid that there were so many people in the room. Then the doctor started to say he was sorry, and I remember thinking, ‘oh no’ before the panic started. He told me it was cancer, and I just started hyperventilating.

“I remember thinking I’m too young for this. It isn’t supposed to happen to me. I asked them what happens next, and they broke the news that I was going to have all my reproductive organs removed and I’d never have children. I then asked if I was going to die, and he said, ‘I don’t know’. I hoped to hear ‘we’ve caught it early’ but I didn’t. That conversation was horrendous.”

Sophie was sent to Birmingham Hospital at the end of January 2025 for specialist treatment. Just a week after she went in for her major abdominal surgery, including a hysterectomy, which would save her life but leave her infertile. After 9.5 hours she came out of surgery without any visible signs of cancer but with the dreams she once had shattered.

After she’d recovered from surgery, Sophie started chemotherapy treatment at the Lingen Davies Cancer Centre in April – a week after her 30^th birthday.

“When I went in for my first appointment everyone thought it was my mum having the treatment. When my name was called everyone looked at me in shock which I know they didn’t mean to, but I felt so alone in that moment.”

Raising awareness

As a way of processing her diagnosis, and to help raise vital awareness of her cancer, Sophie created an Instagram page dedicated to sharing her experiences.

“I decided to start sharing my experiences through the Instagram page to raise awareness of Low Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer because so little is known about it. Since I’ve posted about my experiences people have messaged me saying that after reading my post and seeking medical advice, they’ve found out they have endometriosis or another rare condition.

“I’ve never ignored my symptoms and want to encourage others to listen to what their body is telling them.”

As Sophie was so enthusiastic about raising awareness of cancer, particularly cancer in young people, she was approached by Lingen Davies Cancer Support to be the face of its £5million Sunflower Appeal to deliver a Lingen Davies Cancer Centre in Telford’s Princess Royal Hospital by 2029, doubling chemotherapy capacity in the region.

“When I was having my chemotherapy, I spoke to lots of people from Telford. After chemotherapy you don’t want to be travelling ages as you’re exhausted – for me it was an 8-hour day and that was draining. The fact chemotherapy capacity is doubling is so important as it means people can have chemotherapy sooner and closer to home.

“Cancer isn’t going anywhere, and we all know that time is of the essence so this development will help speed up the whole process for lots of people. Shropshire is a massive place so the fact that people have to travel all the way to Shrewsbury, even from places like Ludlow, is crazy.

“Everyone needs to support this appeal as if there’s another cancer centre in the region it will free up capacity in Shrewsbury. People also have to remember you don’t know what’s on your doorstep. You always assume it won’t happen to you, but it does. If it doesn’t happen to you, it might happen to your children, your best friend, your grandchildren, or someone you work with.

“People need to back this appeal and do as much as they can because unfortunately, we’re all only one phone call away from your life changing.”

You can find out more about Lingen Davies Cancer Support’s Sunflower Appeal at lingendavies.co.uk/sunflower-appeal