A 34-year-old mother of five from Maryland, discovered she only has five weeks to live due to cancer, WUSA9 reported Nov. 11.
Kourtni Smith was diagnosed with stage 4 invasive lobular carcinoma and her condition deteriorated after the cancer spread to her brain, according to WUSA9. Initially diagnosed in 2021 with Stage 3 cancer, her situation reflects the consequences of delayed medical consultation due to fear.
“I feel like now I can save someone’s life,” she said in a statement, per WUSA9. “Here I am, 34, and I’m dying because I was afraid to go to the doctor.”
Smith’s cancer began with subtle signs, such as a dimple on her breast and her inability to produce milk for her newborn. However, it was her hesitations about seeking medical advice that delayed her diagnosis. By the time she consulted a doctor, the cancer already advanced. (RELATED: Famous Actor Reveals Devastating Lung Cancer Diagnosis)
Despite undergoing multiple rounds of cancer treatment and radiation therapy, recent medical assessments have left her with a prognosis. Doctors estimate she has roughly two months left. Now in hospice care, Smith is focusing on creating lasting memories with her family. Her story, as she shared with WUSA9. “I’m dying because I was afraid to go to the doctor,” she lamented, expressing her desire to raise awareness and possibly save others from a similar fate.
Smith will be leaving behind her husband, Andre, and their children, ranging in age from 2 to 16. She aspires to leave a lasting legacy, both emotionally and financially. A GoFundMe campaign, initially set up for funeral expenses, raised over $72,000, per Daily Mail. These funds will now support her family, as a local funeral director generously offered to cover the funeral costs.
“I have young, sensitive, creative and intelligent children that I want to support through this world. My dream would be to hold their hands and guide them into adulthood, but that dream is slipping away,” she further revealed to the outlet. “My cancer metastasized to my bones and my brain, which causes limited activity with my children.”