Mother-of-five, 46, died from breast cancer after being misdiagnosed with TENNIS ELBOW for two years



Jill Goodrum visited her GP in 2011 as she was struggling to lift her arms

As this was her only symptom, she was diagnosed with tennis elbow

She only returned to her GP two years later when she found a breast lump

She was diagnosed with breast cancer and told it had spread to her liver

Devastatingly, she also was told it was incurable as it was so advanced

She died of septicaemia during chemotherapy treatment last month

The mother-of-five documented her battle with the disease on her Facebook page Jill's Fundraising Journey, to donate in her memory visit here



A mother-of-five has died from breast cancer after doctors mistook the disease for tennis elbow for two years.



Jill Goodrum, 46, visited her GP in 2011 because she was struggling to lift her arms above shoulder height.



But her doctor misdiagnosed her symptoms, telling the grandmother she was simply suffering from tennis elbow.



As a result, her cancer went undiscovered until late 2013 when she discovered a ‘bone-like’ lump near one of her breasts.

Jill Goodrum, 46, (pictured with the youngest of her five children, Amy and Grace) died of breast cancer last month after being misdiagnosed with tennis elbow

The grandmother-of-four, from Plymouth, Devon, underwent tests and finally learned she had aggressive and invasive breast cancer.



Worse still, the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and her liver and was incurable.

She died on May 21 this year of septicaemia (blood poisoning) during chemotherapy treatment.



She spent her final months documenting her battle on Facebook in a bid to raise £10,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and Plymouth-based Jeremiah’s Journey.

She fell short of her goal, collecting £6,400 - but donations to her fundraising page have continued to flood in since her death.



Her eldest daughter, Lyndsey Todd said: ‘In the week since Mum died £1,500 has been raised from people all over the world.

‘She was posting the ugly truth about living with cancer and I have continued - it doesn’t end when the person has died.



‘I’m so proud of her for everything. Everybody who knew her loved her. She was always the go-to person.

Mrs Goodrum's only symptom for two years was that she was struggling to lift her arms. It wasn't until she found a lump in her breast that she returned to her doctor and the cancer was found

FIGHTING CANCER IN HER OWN WORDS - A MOTHER'S JOURNEY

Writing on her Facebook page, Jill's Fundraising Journey, the 46-year-old raised awareness while documenting her fight with the disease. Recalling the moment doctors uttered the devastating diagnosis, she wrote: ' Being diagnosed with cancer was horrendous.

‘When I found out it was terminal I sat in the car park at the hospital for about an hour unable to let go of the wall I was holding onto. ‘It’s just horrific. I’m 46 and I’m never going to get old. 'The fact that I have two small children is very hard to deal with too. I’m never going to see them grow up. My children are going to lose their mummy.

‘My older children are obviously traumatised by my diagnosis, but they are very supportive.

‘Nothing is the same for me now. My world has completely changed - I’ve lost me, my identity, my life as I knew it.’ On October 30, last year, Jill shared her feelings about having a wig fitting, after bouts of chemotherapy. She said: 'My first step was chemo last Friday. 'Now I have next chemo this Friday and wig fitting on Monday.

'Those who know me are aware that my hair is down my back and I've had it very long most of my life. I thought having my head shaved was a grand idea. 'And of course I will still go through with it.

'However I now realise there are so many things to come to terms with when losing your hair. 'The loss of feminine identity, the feeling of being a bit pretty, hair being a defining factor all my life, and 'no hair' is not pretty. 'I don't suit scarves and my complexion is shot with the chemo. So I am afraid. No hair = sickness. And that's a fact, I have also seen how my lickle ones respond at the mention. It is a visual reminder mummy isn't well. So much to try and understand and that's just the loss of hair. Wig day has suddenly become very important x' On November 9, 2013, the mother-of-five offered these words of wisdom to others, 'don't count the days, make the days count'. A post on November 14, said: 'Can it get worse I ask myself? Yes it really can... And I'm sure it will. 'I was advised not to see this as a battle but I think I will disagree. Fighting this mind, body and should twister takes every ounce of my energy: Will the chemo work?

If so, how much will it do?

How long have i got?

How awful on a scale of 10 today, oh another 9.

Will I be able to walk today?

Will I lose my hair today?

Will my support fall away?

Am I better off not existing at all? It's a veritable melting pot of teenage angst.

I wish I was a bigger person lol and able to be really grown up and level headed. I only needed another 20 years to reach that echelon.'



‘She supported me during the birth of my children and was my birthing partner for all three of my births and she was amazing.



‘Towards the end we were able to repay some of that support and we sang songs to her that she used to sing to us when we were young during her final hour.



‘She just got on with things. Even when they stopped the medication she fought for another 24 hours.’



Her daughter Jemma Campbell, 20, added: ‘We were always a team and did everything together. It was me and her against the world.



‘Everybody loved her. When I was at school all my friends would come over just to see her. Whenever anyone had a problem they would turn to her.’

After she received the devastating news that the cancer was terminal the family all spent Christmas Day 2013 on the beach – Mrs Goodrum’s favourite place.

Her son, James Todd, said: ‘When I was a small kid in Plymouth - about five or six years old - I remember my mum feeding us when she didn’t always have food for herself.



‘Her mission was to better our situation and she did it.’

'We moved to York where she got her degree and she brought us up to a better standard of living.'

Speaking before she died, Mrs Goodrum said: ‘Being diagnosed with cancer was horrendous.



‘When I found out it was terminal I sat in the car park at the hospital for about an hour unable to let go of the wall I was holding onto.

‘It’s just horrific. I’m 46 and I’m never going to get old.

'The fact that I have two small children is very hard to deal with too.



'I’m never going to see them grow up. My children are going to lose their mummy.



‘My older children are obviously traumatised by my diagnosis, but they are very supportive.



‘Nothing is the same for me now. My world has completely changed - I’ve lost me, my identity, my life as I knew it.’



Mrs Goodrum’s family say she never blamed doctors for missing her cancer because the symptoms were so hard to detect.



They say that when she visited her GP in 2011 all she was able to describe was having difficulty in raising her arms.

It was only two years later when she noticed a lump in her breast that she sought further help.

She learned then that she had been suffering from cancer for between three and four years with virtually no symptoms.



Ms Todd, 27, said: ‘The doctor said several years ago that she had tennis elbow.



‘She went to them with a complaint in her arm, but she felt absolutely fine in herself.

‘Mum never blamed them for not picking it up then as she only had one symptom - they weren't to know at that time.



‘When she was diagnosed with cancer last year, doctors said they thought she had had it for three or four years.’



Tragically, Mrs Goodrum was given some positive news at the beginning of 2014 after scans showed no signs of cancer in her breast.

But after a holiday to Gran Canaria in April she became unwell again and scans revealed the disease had returned.



Mrs Goodrum (pictured with her daughters, Amy, eight, Grace, four, and Lyndsey, 27, and granddaughters Sofia, 10 months, and Ella, eight) already had advanced cancer by the time she was diagnosed

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF BREAST CANCER?

A lump or area of thickened tissue in either breast.

A change in the size or shape of one or both breasts.

Discharge from either nipple or a lump or swelling in either armpit.

Dimpling on the skin of the breasts or a rash on or around the nipple.

Pain in either breast.

Source: NHS Choices

Ms Todd said: ‘When she went for a scan earlier this year, doctors were gobsmacked.

‘The cancer seemed to have gone from her breasts and there was only one slightly enlarged lymph node.

‘They said that they had drugs that could control the liver - It was amazing news and we were all so hopeful.



‘They thought they had it under control and mum went on holiday in April.



‘While she was away she started to feel very unwell. On her return we found that the cancer had returned with a vengeance.



‘I'm so proud of everything she's done - she was just an amazing mum and grandmother.’

Mrs Goodrum died of septicaemia during chemotherapy treatment last month

Mrs Goodrum leaves behind her husband Mark and five children James Todd, 29, Lyndsey Todd, 27, Jemma Campbell, 20, Amy Goodrum, eight and Grace Goodrum, four.



She also has four grandchildren - Ella, nine, Amelie, four, one-year-old Sofia and Elowen, also one.



Ms Goodrum’s friends, family and supporters have vowed to keep her fundraising and awareness efforts going with several planned events set to go ahead this summer.



More information can be found by going to Facebook and searching for Jill’s Fundraising Journey.

