3 days Ago By [email protected] (Ben Barry, Sophie Buchan)
After a devastating miscarriage at seven weeks, a woman's fertility test led to a shocking cancer diagnosis. Victoria Dyson, 35, had been trying to start a family with her husband Liam, 29, but struggled to conceive again after the loss. A fertility test revealed two growths on each ovary, and a biopsy confirmed low-grade ovarian serous carcinoma.
With only one ovary saved, Victoria now faces a total hysterectomy, omentectomy, and chemotherapy. After suffering a miscarriage in June 2020, Victoria and her partner Liam continued their attempts to conceive, but without success. In March 2024, during a fertility assessment at Royal Stoke University Hospital, a sonographer discovered a growth on Victoria's left ovary.
Victoria recounted: "The sonographer was very quiet. Being a medical professional myself, I instantly knew something was wrong. "The sonographer asked several questions and was very thorough when scanning my left side.
The results came back and said I needed an MRI scan." Subsequently, an MRI scan revealed that Victoria had a growth on each ovary. Upon consulting a surgeon, she learned that she required surgery for the removal of the growths to conduct biopsies.
Before her scheduled surgery on July 30, 2024, Victoria visited the fertility clinic to assess her ovarian reserve and was informed that her reserve was comparable to that of a woman ten years her junior. Victoria shared: "My surgery date rolled around when I woke up from the operation, the surgeon told me that they hadn't been able to save my left ovary. The surgeons told me that it was a mess in there and there was some scarring in the omentum which could be caused by miscarriages, UTIs or cancer.
" In August 2024, Victoria was given the devastating news by her doctor during a face-to-face appointment that she had low-grade ovarian serous carcinoma, a type of ovarian cancer. She was informed that to treat the condition, she would require a full hysterectomy and omentectomy - procedures that would induce surgical menopause and prevent her from ever being able to carry her own children. Victoria recounted her initial reaction: "Initially when I got told there was a growth, I thought it could be anything.
" The shock deepened when she learned the nature of her illness: "When I was told that it was cancer, I did not think it would be low-grade ovarian cancer." Describing the moment she and her surgeon discovered the severity of her condition, she said: "The surgeon said it was low grade, and we both felt completely hopeless." However, following her surgery, doctors discovered that what they thought was cancer on her right ovary was actually a serious borderline tumour – a non-invasive ovarian tumour.
Despite this, the couple holds onto hope of having a family via IVF and has begun fundraising for the £30k treatment, with a friend offering to be a surrogate. Victoria, a nurse from Staffordshire Moorlands, expressed the pain of not being able to carry her own child, saying: "The loss of not being able to carry your child, or 'see' you in your child, is something that I feel is indescribable. "The overwhelming feelings of jealousy, rage and sorrow are fierce yet, you are still so happy for those around you who are embarking on the parenting journey.
You see pregnant people everywhere, every conversation seems to move to talking about children, and you are not part of the club. "It's like looking through a window at a party, desperately wanting to be a part of something so magical, but your ticket is invalid. But it's not all hopeless, even when it feels like it, because there is a way, we can be a family.
" During the festive season, a glimmer of hope emerged when one of Victoria's friends offered to act as a surrogate using Liam's sperm and a donor egg. Expressing her longing for motherhood, Victoria shared: "For us, being able to have a family would be a real miracle. Our hopes and dreams have been around having a family.
" She added: "To be able to bring a child into this world and be their parent would be more than a dream come true." Holding onto optimism, Victoria concluded: "There is still hope that we will still be parents, to have that opportunity would complete our life in terms of what we want out of it." Victoria is keen to raise awareness about surgical menopause and cancer, urging anyone with health concerns to consult their doctor.
"There needs to be more awareness around menopause and how to manage symptoms. All women will go through menopause at some point, and we really need to continue beating that drum and raising awareness." To support Victoria and Liam, donations can be made on their GoFundMe page here: https://gofund.
me/fb9c9a1e..
