The Picture That Means After Her Surgery So Much

Her little boy gave Sam Crawley all the strength she needed

- Saskia Murphy

Sitting in my hospital bed, with my arms wrapped tightly around my little boy, I felt like I was holding my whole world in my hands. I’d been through more in the past few days than I had in a lifetime, but thanks to Lucas, then six, I knew I had everything to fight for.

It was December 2017 when I first noticed blood in my stools, but it wasn’t frequent enough for me to worry. I’d recently separated from my husband, so put it down to stress. But by April 2018, I was suffering from stomach pains and a persistent fullness in my stomach, as though I needed the toilet all the time.

Working at Southend University Hospital as an emergency care practitioner, I mentioned my symptoms to a colleague. He looked concerned and referred me for a colonoscopy.

Shock result