After suffering stomach pains for several weeks, a British father-of-seven was blindsided to be told by doctors he only had a handful of weeks left to live.
What 46-year-old Kev Coles had mistaken for the symptoms of constipation, was actually a vicious disease which would brutally cut down his lifespan and leave him needing several rounds of invasive treatment.
The Staffordshire local's heartbreaking story began back in the spring of last year, when he began to experience an unnerving level of discomfort in his gut, which failed to disappear.
After broaching his pain to his wife, 36-year-old Kayleigh, he was advised to visit his local doctors' surgery, and in July 2024, he attended his first appointment. Sadly, Kayleigh claims her husband's woes were initially dismissed.
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Upon researching Kev's symptoms, the couple became convinced he might be suffering from gallstones, or possibly some form of blockage, which had caused severe constipation.
When his agony refused any relief, however, the married pair became determined to receive an official diagnosis.
During several further GP appointments, Kev was prescribed laxatives before being sent home.
In August, however, their worst fears were realised when the devoted dad suddenly started sweating 'like he was under a shower'.
"He started to sweat like someone was tipping water over him," Kayleigh later told the media.
"And when he looked at me I noticed that he had gone completely yellow. Then he just vomited."
She and Kev later pressed hospital staff for an immediate scan, and in September, the pair were dealt the gut-wrenching blow - he had stage four bowel cancer.
After medics found a nine centimetre tumour in his bowel, they informed the couple that Kev only had 'weeks to a few months to live'.
NHS staff also found that the disease had spread to his liver - which is what had triggered the yellowing of his skin - causing organ failure.
The life-changing news naturally came as a shock to Kev and Kayleigh, who claimed he suffered no other symptoms of bowel cancer.
"The bowel cancer itself was symptomless," Kayleigh explained. "We only noticed once it spread to his liver.
"He never got blood in his stool like in the TV adverts."
In October, Kev began chemotherapy, only to be told some weeks later that it was too late to save his life.
He has since been receiving end of life care at home.
"It has just been a shock to everybody," Kayleigh admitted. "Even now it feels like a story.
"It doesn’t feel real most of the time. How can you get your head around something that happens this quickly."
Looking back, she continued: "Just five months ago we were on holiday splashing each other in the sea, now he can’t stand up unaided.
"Life has been extremely hard. I am just making sure that I have as many seconds with him as I can."
Since receiving the devastating news, Kev has lost 35kg, and has been left predominantly unable to move.
Unsure of exactly how long they've got left together, however, he and Kayleigh - who met at a train station eight years ago - made the decision to tie the knot in a small December ceremony, revealing they'd planned to wed the following August anyway.
Despite marrying the love of her life, Kayleigh has since confessed she still holds the NHS partially accountable for his tragic fate.
"It is just such a shame that it wasn’t found sooner," she explained. "It should have been taken more seriously when he first came in with stomach pain. It was a silly mistake, and a deadly one.
"It is now incurable. There isn’t anything that can be done to save him.
"I am having to lose my best friend because people didn’t listen to him."
Kayleigh has since set up a GoFundMe page, aimed to assist with family expenses and funding specialised chemo clothes.
The money will also be used for necessary adaptations to their home - including installing a downstairs bedroom for Kev.
A spokesperson for University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust has since released a statement, telling SWNS: "We would encourage Mr Coles to speak to our Patient Advice and Liaison Team to raise any concerns about care at UHNM so we can fully investigate."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Rhianna Benson