In a shocking turn of events, a Birmingham mother of three is urging those with autoimmune disorders to get screened for cancer after initially dismissing her alarming symptoms as a common cold.

Maeve Fanning, 38, thought little of her health struggles, which began a year after she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition. Last October, she began experiencing uncomfortable indigestion, but brushed it off as digestive issues—until her symptoms escalated.

Despite feeling heavy and struggling to eat, Maeve only reached out to her GP after a family holiday in Wales. After a visit, she was prescribed antacids and told to wait a month for any relief. Unfortunately, her condition worsened, and soon she began coughing, attributing it to the alarming 'hundred day cough' that swept through the country.

But the situation took a more serious turn when breathlessness struck just days before Christmas, prompting Maeve to seek immediate medical attention. Scans revealed a concerning amount of fluid in her lungs, alarming doctors who suspected a potential blood cancer diagnosis.

Maeve recalls the dread of that moment: 'When they detected fluid in my lungs and said they'd need to start treatment immediately, my heart sank.' With her children's birthdays approaching, she struggled to prepare for their celebrations while facing her own uncertainty.

Just ten days later, she learned she likely had blood cancer, shattering her world as she contemplated the impact on her kids. Following further tests, the heartbreaking diagnosis of stage four thymoma came—an aggressive cancer linked to her previous autoimmune disorder.

Now given a grim prognosis of two years, Maeve is determined to do everything possible to see her children grow up. She embarked on chemotherapy in February 2025, but after a challenging start, she's now on a modified treatment plan while exploring complementary therapies to combat her cancer.

In a desperate bid for survival, Maeve has turned to innovative treatments like hyperthermia and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which she believes could change her prognosis. 'These treatments are life-changing; in some cases, cancers have regressed from stage four to earlier stages,' she shares.

To help alleviate the financial burden of her treatment, her friends and family established a GoFundMe page which has raised over £42,000. With monthly treatment costs spiraling to about £11,000, Maeve remains hopeful and resilient, preparing to start proton beam therapy soon.

Maeve’s story serves as a poignant reminder of the crucial need for awareness around cancer symptoms, especially for those with underlying health issues. 'It's every mother's worst nightmare, and I will do everything in my power to see my beautiful children grow up.'