Boxer, 25, begged doctors for help but was 'shrugged off' before tragic death
Boxer Georgia O'Connor shared a scathing rant aimed at doctors as she claimed she was "shrugged off" and "gaslit" by medical professionals - just before her tragic death aged 25
Georgia O'Connor, who died from cancer in May, said she spent months begging for help - only for her pain to be dismissed by doctors as "all in her head".
The Durham-raised athlete was a Team GB representative and winner of the 2017 Commonwealth Youth gold. She died aged 25 after struggling with a "rare and aggressive" form of cancer labelled " incurable" by doctors.
Georgia was told she had ulcerative colitis (UC) - a chronic inflammatory bowel disease - in October 2024, and - after going public with her diagnosis in January 2025 - Georgia proceeded to marry husband, Adriano Cardinali, four months later. Tragically, her death occurred after only a fortnight of being married.
Unfortunately, Georgia's death followed a history of NHS dismissals, where the boxer was left "crying on the floor in agony" for help. In an Instagram post shared before her death, she listed the mistakes she claims were made by medical professionals, and accused them of knowing her strong likelihood of developing the disease.
On January 31, Georgia dropped the " cancer bomb" to her 44.5k Instagram followers before swiftly calling out the alleged injustice of her diagnosis. She opened up about being in "constant pain" since early October and having to travel between Durham and Newcastle RVI A&E.
Georgia knew, "deep down, something was seriously wrong," saying she "felt it was cancer" from the beginning. "I KNEW the risks. I have colitis and PSC, two diseases that dramatically increase the chances of getting it. I KNOW how high my risk is and they do too. They always did".
Heartbreakingly, the late boxer continued: "But not one doctor f*****g listened to me. Not one doctor took me seriously. Not one doctor did the scans or blood tests I begged for whilst crying on the floor in agony". After asking medics to consider her medical history and symptoms, the boxer claims she was "gaslit" and shrugged off.
"They gaslit me, told me it was nothing, made me feel like I was overreacting. They refused to scan me. They refused to investigate. They REFUSED to listen. One even told me that it's "all in my head"".
She wrote: "They could have done something before it got to this stage. But they didn't. Because this is the state of the NHS - a broken system that fails young people like me over and over again".
Outraged and betrayed, Georgia described the failings as part of "a system that makes people suffer, that sends them home in agony, that lets cancer spread whilst the thick, stupid, mindless 'doctors' shrug their shoulders". Georgia's post received over 20,000 likes and was flooded with comments from fans and industry professionals alike.
The Mirror reached out to Durham and Newcastle RVI A&E for comment. Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust shared a statement, saying: "We are very sorry to hear the news about Georgia's death and offer our sincere condolences to the family. We appreciate this a very difficult time, but when and if the family want to raise any concerns with us, we'd urge them to get in touch".
A County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: "We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Georgia, and our condolences go out to her family and friends at this difficult time. While we are unable to comment on individual patient cases, our Patient Experience Team is always available to listen to any concerns or feedback regarding the care we provide. All concerns raised are treated seriously and are fully investigated where appropriate".
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