Jemma McGowan, a 27-year-old mom with ovarian cancer, has been sharing her battle with the disease on Instagram but instead of well-wishes from her followers, she has been bullied for being "too beautiful" to have terminal cancer.
The mother of three kids revealed that she gets the "nasty comments" every week as she documents her cancer journey online. Apparently, many people have accused her of faking cancer because she could manage to look her very best despite her condition, according to Daily Mail.
McGowan, who is from Northern Ireland, admitted that she does make an effort to wear full make-up and a wig, especially when she has to go out of the house. She refuses to engage the bullies because she knows her energy is better spent on finding ways to prolong her life so she could have more time with her husband and three kids, who are all below 5 years old.
From Low-Grade Cancer to Stage 4 Cancer
While pregnant with her second baby in 2016, McGowan and her doctors thought she was having an ectopic pregnancy due to the consistent pain on her left side. It turned out to be a low-grade tumor that doctors removed when she was 17 weeks pregnant.
She was assured that cancer would not return. For the next four years, McGowan was cancer-free but while pregnant at 36 weeks with her third baby in 2021, doctors saw another lump in her ovaries. She had to undergo a C-section as soon as possible and get started with her chemotherapy.
Doctors told the mother that, this time, her tumor is "incurable, aggressive and unusual." She was given a year to live and would likely not see the summer of 2022, according to Belfast Telegraph.
In her desire to prolong her life, McGowan started a fundraiser to help cover the cost of her treatments and has since received more than $222,500 in donations. She said that the fundraiser has been her lifeline in the last year. It has not just paid for her medications but also for her travels to Mexico and London, where she has been receiving groundbreaking cancer treatments that have not yet been approved in her country.
Jemma McGowan Keeps a Positive Outlook
Though McGowan was overwhelmed with the wave of support from strangers, she also became the subject of scrutiny on social media, hence the bullying and the criticisms that she's too beautiful to have terminal cancer. She said the negative comments do not upset her because she knows the truth.
The young mom said that chemotherapy nearly killed her two times but she is fighting with all her strength so she could see her kids grow up. Realistically, McGowan said she knows she will not live to enjoy being a grandmother but she still needs more time with her family.
However, McGowan is also being realistic about her chances and has prepared memory boxes with gifts for her kids for their big milestones, in case she will no longer be there to celebrate with them.
"I want them to remember me and know that I was thinking about them," the mother said, per New York Post.
In March 2022, McGowan revealed that she has agreed to be in a documentary with TV personality Stacey Dooley. Her episode will air in the U.K. on Monday, April 25.
