Boxer Georgia O'Connor shared an emotional post about the cancer symptoms doctors "dismissed" before she died at 25.
The professional fighter, from Durham, England, tragically passed away on May 22 after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease.
O’Connor went public with her diagnosis on January 31 in a heartbreaking Instagram post. She condemned the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), stating that her high-risk symptoms were repeatedly ignored for 17 weeks despite her pre-existing conditions - colitis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) - both of which elevate cancer risks.
“There’s really no easy way to say this, but I have cancer,” she wrote. “For 17 weeks since the start of October, I’ve been in constant pain, going back and forth between Durham and Newcastle RVI A&E knowing deep down something was seriously wrong. I said from the start I felt it was cancer. I KNEW the risks.”
“Not one doctor took me seriously. Not one doctor did the scans or blood tests I begged for whilst crying on the floor in agony. Instead, they dismissed me. They gaslit me… One even told me that it’s ‘all in my head,’” she said.
O’Connor revealed that by the time her diagnosis came, the cancer had already spread, and doctors had discovered blood clots throughout her lungs. “That ALONE could have killed me instantly,” she added.
Despite being told her cancer was terminal, the boxer remained defiant: “They can say it’s terminal all they want… why the f*** should I believe them? I’m young, I’m fit and I am stronger than they’ll ever f***ing understand.”
O’Connor’s boxing journey began with Team GB, where she rose to prominence as a junior. She won gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, earned five national and Commonwealth titles, and medaled twice on the world and European stages.
After turning professional in 2021, she went undefeated with a 3-0 record, defeating Ester Konecna, Erica Alvarez, and Joyce Van Ee.
BOXXER, the promotion she signed with, issued a statement after news of the boxer's death circulated online, writing: “We are heartbroken by the passing of Georgia O’Connor. A true warrior inside and outside the ring… the boxing community has lost a talented, courageous, and determined young woman far too soon.”
England Boxing also paid tribute, calling her “a gifted boxer and beloved member of the amateur boxing community,” adding she “won medals at the Commonwealth Youth Games, Youth Worlds and European Championships.”
Fellow fighter Joe Laws posted a tribute photo with the message: “Fighter till the end rest easy bro.”
Just two weeks before her death, O’Connor, who was also a talented musician, married her partner Adriano Cardinali.
Her final Instagram post showed her wedding ring with the caption, “The day I married the love of my life.”
In February, she shared a touching tribute to him: “From the moment I was diagnosed with cancer, Adriano didn’t hesitate. He quit his job without a second thought and made it his mission to fight this battle alongside me.”
“Researching day and night, chasing down every option, making sure I have every single chance to beat this. I have never known love like this… You are my safe place. My home. I could search the world a thousand times over and never find another man like you.”
Despite her short career, O’Connor left an indelible mark on British sport.
Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this time.