'I went to doctor with stomach ache - then got devastating diagnosis'
Dad-of-four Kyle Ingram-Baldwin, 40, said he went to the GP with stomach pains but received a devastating diagnosis just weeks later - he has called for people to get checked if something doesn't feel right
A father-of-four went to the GP with a stomach ache but he received a devastating diagnosis just weeks later.
Kyle Ingram-Baldwin, 40, said he went to the doctor in October after suffering with abdominal discomfort for a couple of weeks. The dad, from near Ramsgate, in Kent, said he suspected the pain was stress-related and the family had thought his diagnosis would be gallstones, but his health ordeal would only just start. Kyle, who has children aged 12, 9, 3, and 1, was told he had stage-four bowel cancer and has since undergone 6 rounds of chemotherapy and another more targeted course.
Despite these efforts, his cancer has not gotten under control and it has since spread to his liver. Kyle has insisted he is "not prepared to give up" and more than £13,000 has already been raised towards finding alternative treatments - even if that means going abroad.
The dad shared the details about the start of his ordeal and said: "I didn't think a lot of it, but I thought I'd better get it checked out. I went to see my local GP and he thought it was something stress-related, as I'm sure you would at my age. The suspicion at the time was gallstones, which obviously it wasn't."
The following Friday, Kyle ended up in A&E as the pain continued to worsen. An ultrasound found bulges on his liver, and a CT scan followed, before he was called into a room of doctors to receive the devastating news. He recalled: "They told me that I've got cancer that's spread. I was like, wow, okay. I didn't expect that, but you know, it is what it is."
Kyle was heartbreakingly told he had stage-four cancer just two weeks later, which meant the disease was at an advanced stage and had spread to other parts of his body.
The dad-of-four said the disease had put a huge strain on his family, saying: "I was thinking, what's going on here? What have I done wrong? I was putting the blame on my own feet and worrying about the future for my wife and kids.
"That's probably the hardest thing - the mental side. Don't get me wrong, the physical is not funny either, but it's a mental challenge."
Kyle has helped to run the Men's Mental Health Support Talking Football project in Minster, near Ramsgate, which has been a great help. He says his employer Automatic Retailing - a wholesale supplier for vending machines - has been "amazing" but the Liverpool fan has been left with gruelling side effects.
He spent two nights in a hospital corridor with a suspected infection, and suffers from ascites - a build-up of fluid in the abdomen. Kyle is currently not on any active treatment - something he finds worrying - but has another round planned. However, doctors have admitted they do not know if it will work.
The dad has encouraged other people to make sure they get checked out if something doesn't feel right. He said: "I didn't present with any of the conventional symptoms. If you think anything's wrong, please press your GP and go get it checked, because I genuinely wouldn't want anyone being in my position."
A GoFundMe with a target of £50,000 has now been started to look into private treatments and second opinions. He said: "I've looked into costs on things. Depending on how specialist the doctor you see is, it can cost up to £700 for a second opinion alone.
"I'm looking into getting alternative treatments in different areas that aren't in Kent - places like Royal Marsden and London hospitals, and Cambridge. Then there's even potentially going abroad for treatment."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I went to doctor with stomach ache - then got devastating diagnosis'
Dad-of-four Kyle Ingram-Baldwin, 40, said he went to the GP with stomach pains but received a devastating diagnosis just weeks later - he has called for people to get checked if something doesn't feel right A father-of-four went to the GP with a stomach ache but he received a devastating diagnosis just weeks later. Kyle Ingram-Baldwin, 40, said he went to the doctor in October after suffering with abdominal discomfort for a couple of weeks. The dad, from near Ramsgate, in Kent, said he suspected the pain was stress-related and the family had thought his diagnosis would be gallstones, but his health ordeal would only just start. Kyle, who has children aged 12, 9, 3, and 1, was told he had stage-four bowel cancer and has since undergone 6 rounds of chemotherapy and another more targeted course. Despite these efforts, his cancer has not gotten under control and it has since spread to his liver. Kyle has insisted he is "not prepared to give up" and more than £13,000 has already been raised towards finding alternative treatments - even if that means going abroad. The dad shared the details about the start of his ordeal and said: "I didn't think a lot of it, but I thought I'd better get it checked out. I went to see my local GP and he thought it was something stress-related, as I'm sure you would at my age. The suspicion at the time was gallstones, which obviously it wasn't." The following Friday, Kyle ended up in A&E as the pain continued to worsen. An ultrasound found bulges on his liver, and a CT scan followed, before he was called into a room of doctors to receive the devastating news. He recalled: "They told me that I've got cancer that's spread. I was like, wow, okay. I didn't expect that, but you know, it is what it is." Kyle was heartbreakingly told he had stage-four cancer just two weeks later, which meant the disease was at an advanced stage and had spread to other parts of his body. The dad-of-four said the disease had put a huge strain on his family, saying: "I was thinking, what's going on here? What have I done wrong? I was putting the blame on my own feet and worrying about the future for my wife and kids. "That's probably the hardest thing - the mental side. Don't get me wrong, the physical is not funny either, but it's a mental challenge." Kyle has helped to run the Men's Mental Health Support Talking Football project in Minster, near Ramsgate, which has been a great help. He says his employer Automatic Retailing - a wholesale supplier for vending machines - has been "amazing" but the Liverpool fan has been left with gruelling side effects. He spent two nights in a hospital corridor with a suspected infection, and suffers from ascites - a build-up of fluid in the abdomen. Kyle is currently not on any active treatment - something he finds worrying - but has another round planned. However, doctors have admitted they do not know if it will work. The dad has encouraged other people to make sure they get checked out if something doesn't feel right. He said: "I didn't present with any of the conventional symptoms. If you think anything's wrong, please press your GP and go get it checked, because I genuinely wouldn't want anyone being in my position." A GoFundMe with a target of £50,000 has now been started to look into private treatments and second opinions. He said: "I've looked into costs on things. Depending on how specialist the doctor you see is, it can cost up to £700 for a second opinion alone. "I'm looking into getting alternative treatments in different areas that aren't in Kent - places like Royal Marsden and London hospitals, and Cambridge. Then there's even potentially going abroad for treatment."
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Daily Mail
I thought I was heading for the menopause...but my symptoms were really a sign of brain cancer
A mother-of-one who blamed her brain fog and memory lapses on the menopause has told of her devastation at being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour. Jane Roberts, 46, began experiencing confusion and forgetfulness earlier this year, but assumed it was a harmless symptom of perimenopause. She mentioned the issues during a GP appointment—only for her doctor to raise concerns it could be early-onset dementia. A CT scan soon revealed the real cause: a malignant brain tumour. On March 21, 2025, Jane was diagnosed with a glioma. The standard treatment for this type of cancer is surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. But in Jane's case, a follow-up scan showed the mass was located in her thalamus—deep in the centre of her brain—making it inoperable. The mother-of-one, from Liverpool, is now awaiting the results of an MRI scan to determine how advanced the cancer is. She has since begun sharing her story on TikTok in a bid to raise awareness, with some videos racking up more than 100,000 views. Jane hopes her experience will encourage others not to dismiss unusual symptoms, no matter how minor they seem. In a video, Jane explained how the ordeal began: 'I went to the GP with what I thought were perimenopause symptoms—part of that was a bit of brain fog and memory loss. 'She jumped on it straight away. The GP was so concerned by what I said about my memory that she thought I had early-onset dementia.' But after referring her for a CT scan, her doctor delivered the devastating news: it wasn't dementia—it was a 'nasty brain tumour'. While Jane is still waiting for an MRI to confirm how advanced the cancer is, the tumour is located deep in the brain's thalamus—described by doctors as the 'central system where everything goes in and out'. Even after seeking a second opinion at the renowned Cleveland Clinic, she was told surgery was not an option. In a more recent update, she told followers: 'I'm waiting for my next scan towards the end of June to see how it's progressing—whether it's grown or stopped. 'All the next steps—biopsy, radiotherapy, chemotherapy—carry a risk because of where the tumour is.' In a more recent update, she told followers: 'I'm waiting for my next scan towards the end of June to see how it's progressing—whether it's grown or stopped Her 10-year-old daughter has even given the tumour a nickname—'Betty'—after the pair had a heartbreaking conversation about her diagnosis. Gliomas are brain tumours that form in the glial cells—supportive cells that surround and protect nerve cells in the brain. Around 2,500 people are diagnosed with gliomas in the UK each year, with about 24,000 cases annually in the US. They make up roughly a quarter of all brain tumours and can range from slow-growing to aggressive, fast-growing forms. Symptoms vary depending on where the tumour is, but can include headaches, memory loss, seizures and changes in mood or behaviour. when a glioma is inoperable—because it's located deep in the brain or near vital structures—doctors may focus on shrinking or slowing its growth instead. This is typically done with targeted radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which can help relieve symptoms and extend survival, but is rarely curative. In some cases, patients may also be offered palliative care to manage symptoms and maintain quality of life. In a video posted last week, Jane shared that 'waiting is the hardest part' as she continues to hope for an update. In an Instagram post, she added: 'Doing nothing is a really tough spot to be in. It's a completely mental game. A weird kind of torture. 'You might die, you might not, but you probably will—but we can't be sure when, it might be soon.' In another video, filmed just days after she was told the tumour was inoperable, she said: 'I've woken up feeling really sad today. 'It is the reality. I don't know enough. I don't know if radio and chemo can fully remove it or if this is just going to be a case of shrinking it. 'Then it is going to grow again, then we're doing this and this is just going to be my life until it gets me. It's just hard to stay really strong.' Despite everything, Jane has been trying to remain positive—sharing her thoughts and feelings in regular updates. In a post from a week ago, she wrote: 'It takes all my energy to keep fighting the negative thoughts and the messages of Mr Doom and Gloom (my surgeon) continually echo in my ears. It's such a battle to stay happy or even neutral.' 'But I do know that whilst Betty (yes we named my tumour) is here to stay at least for now that I am capable of being happy throughout this shit show. So going to try and embrace the lows as they will propel me to the highs.' In her most recent Instagram post, she said she is appreciating the little things like going to a hair appointment. 'I just assumed I'd start treatment and lose my hair and it would all happen so quickly. 'But I'm a few hair appointments in now and brave enough to book another in 6 weeks,' she wrote in the caption.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Threat to women-only wards as zealot doctors say: Defy trans ruling and allow trans patients to self-identify
NHS doctors will brazenly call on colleagues to overrule the Supreme Court and allow trans patients to self-identify, it has emerged. Activist members of the British Medical Association want doctors to vote for 'identity-based care' at its conference later this month. Campaigners fear this could lead to biological men who identify as women being put in female-only wards or other single-sex spaces. And it would put doctors on a collision course with the UK's highest court after judges ruled in April that the term 'woman' referred to biological sex and not gender. Last night, Bethany Hutchison, a member of the Darlington Nurses, who won a landmark battle for a female-only changing room after claiming NHS transgender policies breached their human rights, said the motion 'puts an extreme and discredited ideology ahead of the proper medical care of vulnerable patients'. She added: 'Doctors and nurses are being dragged into an ideological conflict they didn't ask for.' Andrea Williams, of the Christian Legal Centre, said if adopted, the policy 'could create chaos'. Delegates meeting in Liverpool are due to discuss proposals to 'affirm the right of all LGBTQ+ patients and staff to identity-based care and working conditions'. The motion presented by its London regional council calls on the BMA, which represents 200,000 medics, to produce 'guidance and a lobbying strategy to embed this principle' across the NHS. But voting for it would go against the views of Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who admitted his previous comment that 'trans women are women' was incorrect. Helen Joyce, of the Sex Matters charity, said some at the BMA want to 'abandon evidence and reason'. The BMA was also criticised for opposing the Cass Review, which found children were being let down by gender identity services. The union later said it will undertake its own evaluation of the report.
