Woman moves to Edinburgh for dream job but gets devastating double cancer diagnosis

Jacob Farr & John-Paul Clark
·7-min read
Bronwyn in hospital.
Bronwyn in hospital. -Credit:Supplied


An Edinburgh University lecturer claims GPs ignored cancer warning signs as she faced a devastating back-to-back diagnosis.

Bronwyn Sumption, 31, moved to the capital in April 2022 to take up a lecturing role in sports management, but around a year later she began to suffer from several debilitating symptoms.

At first Bronwyn began to suffer from severe pressure headaches, as well as feeling run down and fatigued, reports Edinburgh Live.

She also lost her appetite but despite not eating, gained six kilograms, and the right side of her body, including her face, began to swell.

The lecturer visited her GP three times over the course of a week but originally her fears were brushed aside, with doctors believing it to be a potential viral infection and carrying out tests for mumps and even an allergic reaction to ibuprofen.

Erika (left) has been a massive support to Bronwyn.
Erika (left) has been a massive support to Bronwyn. -Credit:Supplied

After her symptoms worsened she attended the Western General and was told that a 13cm tumour had been located in her chest and that she would have to undergo chemotherapy as well as a number of other intrusive procedures.

Unfortunately her sick pay is coming to an end from the university and in order to be able to afford her rent, bills and general living expenses, including travel to hospital, Bronwyn is now trying to raise £21,000 to cover her costs until she can return to work.

“I saw the GP three different times and went to A&E a couple of times but I was told that I had a viral infection and mumps as well as an allergic reaction to ibuprofen,” she said. “I sought help as I was suffering from very bad pressure headaches and was feeling really run down and fatigued.

“Something was not right as I had lost my appetite but somehow picked up six kilograms. The ride side of my body began to swell but I kept being brushed aside by my GP.

“But when I struggled to swallow and my lips and under my eyes turned blue and felt a pain whenever I lifted my arms above my chest - I knew something was serious and went to the triage at the Western General.

Bronwyn got her PHD in South Africa.
Bronwyn got her PHD in South Africa. -Credit:Supplied

“They ran tests and found a 13cm tumour in my chest that was pushing on my artery that brings blood flow back from the brain. I was considered an oncology emergency and had to undergo a number of scanning procedures and a round of chemo.”

Bronwyn was diagnosed with stage 3a primary mediastinal B-cell non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma - PMBCL - a rare and aggressive type of blood cancer. She had to undergo six rounds of intensive chemotherapy at the Edinburgh Cancer centre.

Unfortunately Bronwyn suffered multiple complications during her battle with blood cancer but in October 2023 she was allowed to breathe a sigh of relief when it was thought she was in remission.

However, her world was again turned upside down when she developed new symptoms and after tests were run, she was told that there was 6cm tumour in her brain at the start of this year.

Sadly Bronwyn says she was again ignored when she approached GPs about her new symptoms prior to being told she had central nervous system lymphoma.

Bronwyn hopes to one day to be able to play in The Hundred or Big Bash.
Bronwyn hopes to one day to be able to play in The Hundred or Big Bash. -Credit:Supplied

“I felt like I was coming out of the woods and I could go ahead and continue with my life,” she added. “I was training again for cricket with an eye of playing in the Hundred or Big Bash.

“But in December I woke up one morning with a horrible headache which then led to vertigo and dizziness. I saw a couple of doctors but they brushed it off as positional vertigo.

“My partner and I went down to England for a short break over Christmas but my condition worsened. I was in severe pain and it felt like someone had been hitting me in the back of the head with a cricket bat.

“I was falling over on my right hand side a lot and visited doctors after flying to Jersey to meet friends but they again told me it was unlikely to be cancer and was probably vertigo. But then I began throwing up blood after we returned home.

“We headed to the Western General for a cancer assessment and the next day an MRI revealed I had a 6cm tumour in my brain. Sadly due to its position they were unable to carry out a biopsy and I was told the prognosis was poor.

“They treated it blindly but the medical staff were surprised. There is no single case like mine in the world where the cancer has relapsed in the central nervous system in this way.”

Bronwyn underwent several rounds of chemo for a second time but also succumbed to further complications, suffering from sepsis and blood clots on several occasions and having issues with a hickman line becoming twisted in her chest.

Bronwyn was hit with back to back cancer diagnosis.
Bronwyn was hit with back to back cancer diagnosis. -Credit:Supplied

Her cancer team recommended in order to reduce the risk of her cancer returning for the third time that she have a stem cell transplant.

Before the transplant, she needs further chemotherapy, with the recovery process estimated to be at least six months, meaning she will not be able to work again until next year.

Bronwyn will have been unable to work since May 2023 and although she is thankful for receiving sick pay from Edinburgh University, this stops at the end of May 2024.

She has started a GoFundMe to allow her to remain in her city centre flat as well as meet her living expenses while she undergoes her remaining treatment and following recovery.

“I will have no income, and – as I am from South Africa and living in the UK on an ancestry visa – I will not be eligible for any government support or public assistance from either country,” she said. “If I move back to South Africa, to my family, I won’t have access to the cancer therapy that I have been fortunate to receive from the NHS.

“My life literally depends on being able to stay in the UK for this potentially life-saving treatment but without funds, that will be impossible. On top of dealing with the gravity of my cancer diagnosis and treatment, this financial insecurity is a huge additional stress.

“There is nothing I want more than to be on the other side of this, to be independent again, to go back to work, and to play cricket again.

“Setting up a GoFund me is my last resort in trying to secure financial assistance. People’s support will allow me to focus on my healing and recovery to get back into the ‘swing of things.’

Bronwyn and Erika on holiday together.
Bronwyn and Erika on holiday together. -Credit:Supplied

“The target of my GoFundMe should be just enough to cover all my living expenses, assuming I’ll be unable to work for a considerable amount of time. This is everything from food, to rent, utilities, travel expenses to the hospital and back and everything else day-to-day life requires.

“I don’t hope for luxuries, I just want to be able to keep a roof over my head whilst I undergo treatment and recovery.”

The lecturer hopes that by telling her story she can encourage others to be confident in backing themselves when they feel they are being ignored by GPs, despite suffering from serious symptoms.

“I hope that I can champion awareness and self advocacy for people who know that something isn’t right but they are not being listened to,” she added. “GPs failed to listen twice and this could have cost me my life if I was not persistent.

“There is a lack of awareness around blood cancer and I must admit that before my diagnosis I did not really know what it was. I’m very thankful for the Maggie Centre at the Western and the team there, they were unbelievable and saved my life on two occasions.

Brownwyn hopes to be able to raise enough funds to stay in Edinburgh.
Brownwyn hopes to be able to raise enough funds to stay in Edinburgh. -Credit:Supplied

“Erika Van den Heever, my partner, has also looked after me throughout all of this whilst working. She has run me to hospital, made me food and done the household chores.

“She’s played a significant role in this journey.”

You can support Bronwyn’s GoFundMe page here.

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