Camilla Chapman first became aware of a small problem when she started adjusting to a new diet. It wasn’t anything too dramatic — just a minor change that made eating a little more difficult, but it didn’t seem like a major issue at the time. However, months later, after a series of quiet, subtle warning signs, she found herself confronting a reality that was far beyond what she had imagined.
At first, when she began having trouble swallowing, it didn’t feel urgent or concerning. As a busy mother of four who was still adapting to her new eating habits, she simply thought the change was due to her new diet. She assumed it was nothing more than a result of the shift in her eating routine.
Her diet had included more liquid-based meals, but one of the solid foods she could prepare was pancakes. Often, she would find that the pancakes got stuck in her throat, and she would need to drink water to help swallow them. “A lot of the diet was liquid-based, but one of the solid foods you could make were pancakes, and quite often they would get stuck in my throat,” Chapman explained. “I would need to drink water with them.”
Chapman attributed this issue to her recent change in diet. She figured it was just her body adjusting to swallowing liquids more easily and that she might not have been chewing solid food as thoroughly. At the time, she didn’t think it was serious enough to consult a doctor. The difficulty seemed too minor and easy to explain away, especially with her busy life juggling young children and managing her business.
But as the months went by, the minor problem began to escalate into something more significant. By June 2024 — three months after her swallowing difficulties started — Chapman noticed a small lump under her jaw. This time, she decided to schedule an appointment with her doctor. However, she only mentioned the lump and didn’t bring up the issue with swallowing.
Her doctor referred her for an ultrasound to check the swelling. The results appeared normal. Chapman was told it was common for one gland to be slightly larger than the other, and she was reassured that it wasn’t anything to be concerned about.
While she was relieved by the doctor’s explanation, her swallowing issues didn’t improve. By the end of 2024, the problem had become more noticeable and was interfering with her sleep. The discomfort sometimes even woke her up at night. “I started to have a gut feeling that something wasn’t quite right,” Chapman recalled.
Finally, in January 2025, nearly a year after the initial symptoms, Chapman returned to her doctor, now with a clearer picture of her ongoing issues. After months of uncertainty, she was now on the path to answers. What she learned next would change everything for her.
In February 2025, Chapman underwent an endoscopy, a procedure where doctors examine the digestive tract. When she was informed that biopsies were being taken, she had a sinking feeling that the diagnosis might not be good.
A week later, the results from a CT scan confirmed the doctors’ suspicions: Chapman had advanced, inoperable stomach cancer that had spread to her lungs, liver, and lymph nodes. It was nearly a year after she first noticed trouble swallowing, and by this point, there were no curative options available to her.
Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, begins when abnormal cells in the stomach lining start to grow uncontrollably. In the U.S., this form of cancer is most commonly found at the gastroesophageal junction, where the stomach and esophagus meet. Elsewhere, it can be more likely to develop in the central part of the stomach. About 95% of stomach cancers start in the inner lining of the stomach and tend to develop slowly at first.
Left untreated, the cancer can form tumors that grow deeper into the stomach wall and spread to nearby organs such as the liver and pancreas. In Chapman’s case, this is exactly what had happened. Unfortunately, the disease rarely causes symptoms in the early stages, which makes it difficult to detect. Even more common signs, like unexplained weight loss or upper abdominal pain, often don’t show up until the cancer is already in an advanced stage.
The symptoms of stomach cancer can include:
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Difficulty swallowing
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Loss of appetite
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Stomach pain (especially above the belly button)
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Feeling full after eating small amounts
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Fatigue or weakness
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Nausea or vomiting
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Heartburn or indigestion
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Black stool or vomiting blood
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Feeling bloated or gassy after meals
These symptoms overlap with those of many other, less serious conditions, which is why stomach cancer often goes undiagnosed for months or even years. In Chapman’s case, the lack of classic symptoms like acid reflux or persistent stomach pain led her to ignore the initial signs altogether.
When Chapman received her diagnosis, she was told that surgery wasn’t an option, and the only available treatment was palliative chemotherapy — designed to slow the disease’s progression and manage symptoms, rather than cure it. After considering her options, Chapman chose to decline chemotherapy. “I don’t want to take chemo,” she said. “I have four young boys, and I want to still be able to go to the park with them. I don’t want to live whatever time I have left in sickness.”
Instead of undergoing aggressive treatment, Chapman focused on preserving the quality of her life for the time she had remaining. With limited options available through the NHS, she began exploring alternative therapies, lifestyle changes, and ways to scale back her work so that she could be more present with her family.
After her diagnosis, Chapman shared her journey with her followers on social media. On February 13, 2025, she posted an emotional message on Instagram, telling her community about her condition and the limited treatment options she had. “It’s with a very heavy, broken heart I write this post,” she began. “I have just been diagnosed with stomach cancer, which has unfortunately spread to my liver, lungs, and lymph nodes. We were told by the doctor that there is nothing they can do for me other than chemo to try and extend my life.”
Although she had chosen to forgo chemotherapy, Chapman emphasized that she had not given up hope. “I am refusing to believe that this is it, and I will do anything to support my body and family through this,” she wrote. “My boys are only 8, 6, 5, and 3, and I can’t even imagine not being here to see them grow up… It’s just not an option.”
Chapman launched a JustGiving campaign to raise money for alternative treatments and to allow her to step back from the demands of running her business. Hope Plants, the garden business she had built with her partner, Matt, since 2020, now became the foundation of the support system she relied on. She turned to the same community that had helped them grow their business from the ground up.
“Our business is called HOPE for a reason, and now we need all the HOPE in the world,” Chapman added. “Please share my story and support where you can. I believe that with the right attitude, anything is possible.”
As her story gained attention, Chapman used the platform to urge others to take even small symptoms seriously. “It’s easy to dismiss small changes. It could be something as simple as difficulty swallowing, or a change in the way you sound. I would tell anyone who has similar symptoms to go get it checked out,” she advised.
Her message was clear: don’t wait. Chapman had no pain, no weight loss, and no digestive distress in the early stages of her condition. What started as a single, subtle symptom went unexamined for almost a year. Sharing this cautionary tale has become as important to her as any treatment option.
While she can’t change the course of her own story, Chapman hopes that by sharing it, she can help someone else recognize the signs earlier and take action. She remains focused on spending as much quality time with her family as possible and continuing to explore every avenue for alternative treatments.
As she wrote in her February post, quoting Audrey Hepburn, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” For Chapman, that belief remains at the heart of everything she’s fighting for — her family, her business, and the hope that her experience might inspire others to act before it’s too late.