Jess Beswick describes her brother Chris, as “the strongest person I know and my biggest inspiration.” 

He was a fit, healthy, non- smoker who worked hard and took care of his health. He called Jess in late 2021 to say that he had been having stomach pain, changes to his bowel habits and fatigue that he put down to a busy life. Jess, a nurse, urged him to go to the emergency department. Doctors found a mass which was biopsied and diagnosed as Ewing’s sarcoma in the stomach lining. Surgery to remove the tumour, most of his bowel and left him with a stoma – but he was told he was cancer-free. It was short-lived and Chris passed away at 37 years old. 

Jess is sharing her brother’s story to raise awareness of symptoms that can often be easy to brush off but should get checked out quickly.  While Chris’s type of stomach cancer was a rare one, the symptoms he experienced are common to stomach cancer and should not be ignored. “I want to do all I can to raise awareness, and if sharing Chris’s story can make a difference and give someone a better chance, then that is worth it.”