A mother of two from London has passed away from bowel cancer after initially believing her symptoms were hormonal.

Laura Dawson, 44, died on June 29 following a battle with stage 3 bowel cancer that was only diagnosed in March 2024—months after she began experiencing persistent fatigue and bloating. She had attributed the changes to perimenopause until her condition suddenly worsened, leaving her in too much pain to move.

She was rushed to hospital, where emergency surgery uncovered an obstruction in her bowel. A biopsy soon confirmed the cancer had already spread to nearby lymph nodes.

Chemotherapy initially appeared successful. By August, Laura was told she had a clear scan. But just one month later, in September, the cancer returned—and had continued to spread.

“That was absolutely gut-wrenching,” said her husband, Ben Dawson, in interviews shared across multiple outlets.

As her health declined, Laura made the difficult decision in May to end treatment and focus on time with her loved ones. She entered hospice care shortly before her death.