Hayley Beaumont wishes she listened to her gut instinct that was telling her something wasn’t right in her body.  

Like so many people, the 31-year-old placed her full trust in her doctor, who, in January 2019, told her she was fit, healthy and too young to have anything seriously wrong.  

Reassuring words that turned out to be wrong.

Eleven months later, while many New Zealanders were preparing to celebrate New Year’s Eve, the Kaiapoi resident was in Christchurch Women’s Hospital suffering Kidney failure.

But that wasn’t the most devastating diagnosis.

“I’d only just woken up from a procedure, and the surgeon came in and said he needed to talk to me.”

“My dad started crying because he knew it was going to be bad news.”

The surgeon said, “I’m sorry it’s cancer, and it’s very far progressed as well.”

The solo mum was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer.

“I didn’t know how to react, because my dad was there and had broken down, I was trying to be strong for him really.”

“My first thoughts went to my daughter wondering how she would cope with the news.”

Hayley had been feeling unwell for a while and says she went to her doctor numerous times over the past year as her symptoms increased and worsened, but she was brushed off.

She first experienced a “lot of bleeding” in January 2019 and went to her doctor searching for answers.

“I was getting tennis ball sized blood clots” but her doctor ruled out anything sinister. Then everything came to a head on Boxing Day, where she ended up in hospital.

“I had been getting bad headaches and felt that something wasn’t right.”

Doctors initially thought her symptoms were isolated to her kidneys or high blood pressure.

After explaining the situation to staff at the Gynecological ward, at Christchurch Women’s hospital, a complaint was made on her behalf to the Health and Disability Commissioner.

The investigation is ongoing she says.

Hayley wonders if her life would have been different if she saw her first doctor, she’d been seeing for years, but that doctor had retired four months earlier.

She doesn’t have energy to focus on what happened and just wants to concentrate on what’s worthwhile in her life.

That includes spending as much time as possible with her 11-year-old daughter Abbey.

Before her diagnosis Hayley had been working as a pre-school reliever, but she’s had to give that up.

Hayley is on pain medication and had finished her second round of intensive chemotherapy a day before this interview.

Understandably, her voice is tired, and she’s exhausted from the treatment, which she hopes will prolong her life.

She says the side effects include, numb fingers, weak leg muscles, and she’s just started losing her hair.

The side effects lasts four or five days, but Hayley says it’s manageable given treatment is once every three weeks.

In New Zealand, about 150 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year according to the Cancer Society.

Latest Ministry of Health data says each year there are around 25,000 abnormal smear test results among New Zealand women.

Without cervical screening about one out of 90 women will develop cervical cancer and one out of 200 will die from it.

With cervical screening about one out of 570 will develop cervical cancer and one out of 1280 will die from it.

Hayley has been given between 6 months and two years. She says after her third chemotherapy treatment, doctors will be able to decide if it’s worth continuing.

A Givealittle page has been set up for Hayley and her family, but what’s most important for Hayley is getting her message out to the public.

“If something doesn’t feel right with your body, push to get more tests done, and get a second opinion.”