Mum-of-three Samantha Bovingdon dealt devastating cancer diagnosis after car crash

Samantha Bovingdon thought she was experiencing aches and pains after she totalled her car in a rear-end crash. But scans revealed something far more sinister.

Samantha Bovingdon, who has been diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer, with her husband Ivan and three daughters. Picture: Supplied by family

In the middle of last year Samantha Bovingdon rear-ended someone, leaving her car totalled and suffering aches and pains throughout her body.

When the mum-of-three continued to experience stomach pains she assumed it was a result of her crash.

Unable to put up with the pain, the 43-year-old visited many doctors before an ultrasound finally revealed the cause of her agony.

“It was actually a 20cm cyst attached to my ovaries which they (doctors) thought may have been ovarian cancer,” Samantha told The Advertiser.

But when doctors removed the cyst while conducting a full hysterectomy in mid-November last year, they discovered the matter wasn’t consistent with ovarian cancer at all – Samantha had stage four bowel cancer and it had spread.

Samantha Bovingdon with her three daughters, Dakota, Darcy and Dayna. Picture: Supplied by family

Samantha with her husband Ivan who says watching her go through cancer is horrific. Picture: Supplied by family

“What’s going to be done, how do we get rid of it?”. That is what Samantha asked when doctors told her what she thought was muscular pain was cancer that had also spread to her liver, lungs and stomach.

She was placed on chemotherapy and has just finished her second round.

“I’m currently stuck in hospital,” she said. “I’ve been here since the 11th of January so it’s been really hard.

Samantha said her life “just stopped” after she was diagnosed with bowel cancer. Picture: GoFundMe

“I just take it day by day because I’m stuck to different bits and pieces because of the issues that are going on.”

Samantha Bovingdon thought her stomach pain was a result of a car crash, turns out it was stage four bowel cancer. Picture: GoFundMe

Samantha hasn’t been able to spend time with her daughters – Dakota, 13, Darcy, 9, and Dayna, 3 – during the school holidays.

She said her life “just stopped”.

The Craigmore mum and her husband Ivan Bovingdon are calling for early testing for bowel cancer.

“What could’ve been done to catch it earlier? How long have I had it? Where did it come from? Why wasn’t my body not telling me something wasn’t right? Why did it wait till then? What was going on? All of that goes through your mind,” Samantha said.

Mr Bovingdon said watching his wife go through this disease was horrific.

“Words really can’t explain what it’s like,” he said. “It’s hard when you sit there and there’s nothing you can do.

“It’s a horrible thing to go through, there’s no other way to explain it.”

As Samantha goes through treatment, she had to put her career as a project controller on hold.

If you’d like to donate to Samantha and her family, you can here.