A MUM-of-three has died suddenly after getting the all clear from cervical cancer.
Jay Griffin had previously urged other women to book their smear tests after she missed hers due to the stresses and strains of normal life.
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Smear tests aren’t tests for cancer but can help prevent it by catching it early.
All women aged 25-64 should be invited by letter and from the age of 25 you should have them every three years.
Jay’s friends and family have now paid tribute to the ‘kind’ mum, whois survived by her sons Louis, 16, Jamie, 12, and 11-year-old Brandon.
In April 2019 Jay, 34, who lived in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, suffered a haemorrhage and pelvic bleeding.
She needed five blood transfusions and it was her brave children who called 999.
It was this experience that led to her diagnosis of cervical cancer.
Jay didn't die of cervical cancer and her cause of sudden death is not yet known. She had been given the all clear in 2019.
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Jay had to have chemotherapy before being given the all clear in late 2019. In March last year she encouraged women to book their smear tests.
She said: “I think if anyone feels different about their body below or any concerns, just go and get in touch with your GP.
"I would say 'look what happened to me', the treatment I had done and the operations I had to have, the months and months of pain afterwards and all the side effects I'm having to deal with, it's all much worse than a smear test."
Jay also encouraged people to have the Human papillomavirus (HPV) jab in school, which protects against HPV types 16 and 18, which cause the greatest risk of cervical cancer.
Sadly, Jay passed away on August 10 and her funeral was held on September 6.
'WON'T BE FORGOTTEN'
Her friend of 18-years, Kellie-Amanda told HertsLive that Jay was an ‘all-round nice person’.
She said: "She was a very good mother to her three children, she's a very good friend and she was always so kind to everybody.
"Even when she was going through her cancer treatment, she was a single mum, she was so supportive of other people in their times of need.
"That's one thing everyone has said about her, her kindness and support won't be forgotten by anybody."
What is cervical cancer and what signs should you be looking out for?
Cervical cancer is a cancer that is found anywhere in the cervix.
Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by an infection from certain types ofhuman papillomavirus (HPV).
The NHS says that it can often be prevents by screening which can treat abnormalities before they turn into cancer.
It grows very slowly and how serious it is depends on how big it is.
Know the signs
The main signs of cervical cancer are:
- Abnormal bleeding (during or after sex, between periods and also post-menopause)
- Unusual vagin*l discharge
- Discomfort or pain during sex
- Lower back pain
- Unintended weight loss
As the disease progresses it can also result in:
- increased need to pee
- blood in pee
- bleeding from the bottom
- diarrhoea
- incontinence
- lower limb swelling
Kellie-Amanda added that her children ‘adored her’ and that she did the best for her kids and her main goal was to be a good mum to them.
She added that she was ‘always so selfless and thinking of others’.
Jay was put in remission on October 7.
Figures from Cancer Research show that each day there are around eight new cases of cervical cancer in the UK, this is around 3,200 each year.
Jay had previously praised the NHS for their treatment and said the doctors and nurses had been ‘lovely'.
'HAPPY PLACE'
A GoFundMe page has now been set up in Jay’s memory, with the funds going towards sending her three children to Disneyland Paris.
When arranging Jay’s funeral, their grandparents asked them if there were any memories of their mum they wanted to includeand Kellie-Amanda said they kept talking about their time at Disney together.
The GoFundMe page states: “Jay’s boys have special memories of going to Disneyland with Jay a couple of years ago. They said that this was one of the best times of their lives.
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“We are asking for donations so the boys can go back to their happy place with their grandparents.
"Although this won’t take away their pain, it will at least put a smile on their little faces.”
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