19-year-old Amelia Ellerby from York, UK, discovered a lump on her back in the spring of 2021. She tried to obtain reliable medical advice and a referral for tests, but each time she was only directed to teleportation. When she was examined by a doctor, it was too late. The teenager died.
Amelia Ellerby first contacted the doctor in the spring of 2021 and then a few weeks later. She was worried about a lump on her back that started to get bigger over time. Over the phone, the doctor prescribed her antibiotics and referred her to a CT scan, which was due six months from now.
When Amelia was personally examined by her GP, who was still waiting for a CT scan in the spring of the following year, he immediately referred her to an X-ray and MRI.
The diagnosis was tragic: a metastatic soft tissue sarcoma that doctors said had “already mastered the upper half of her body.” Studies have shown that the teenager had lumps in her lungs, and the cancer had already spread to her stomach, liver, and lymph nodes. In mid-May 2022, doctors told Amelia that she had several months to live.
The young woman died a few weeks later. On July 7, she was buried in the cemetery in York.
Amelia’s undetected illness shocked the public
A relative of Amelia, Claire Henshaw, said in an interview with the British Daily Mail that Amelia boldly faced her illness and tried to have a positive attitude. Nobody deserved to die at the age of 19 – she emphasized.
The story of the teenager did not go unnoticed. York Hospital issued a statement explaining that despite COVID-19, doctors tried to keep medical care working as normal:
«In this terribly sad time, we feel sorry for Amelia’s family. How we allocate visits and prioritize diagnostic procedures depends on the nature of the referral we receive from our GP. If the referral is for suspected cancer, the procedures are accelerated. We tried to do this even during a pandemic ».
The hospital also encouraged Amelia’s family to contact them if they have questions about the care they have received.