Cervical cancer screening age must be lowered pleads dying mum Kirsty Winstanley (From St Helens Star)

Cervical cancer screening age must be lowered pleads dying mum Kirsty Winstanley

12:00pm Thursday 27th August 2009

A DEVOTED mum, who is soon expected to lose her brave fight for life at the age of just 23, is demanding that the screening age for cervical cancer in England is lowered.

Kirsty Winstanley, who has a four-year-old son Aiden, was diagnosed with the disease in October but treatment has proved unsuccessful.

Along with her loving husband of three years David, she is urging the Government to reduce the age at which women are called for smear tests to 20, believing this could save lives.

Currently women in England are not called for such tests until they reach 25, unlike Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Kirsty’s plight mirrors that of reality TV star Jade Goody, who succumbed to the disease in March aged 27.

During her last months, she too called for women below the age of 25 to be called in for smear tests.

Her well publicised battle with the disease led to a significant increase in young women getting tested, but despite a campaign led by a national newspaper the screening age has reamiend the same.

Kirsty, from Rainford, who is the youngest of eight children, has gone home to die, surrounded by family. She does not want any other young woman to go through what she has suffered.

David (27) will now have to become sole carer for his son Aiden, who suffers from PKU disorder, a condition which means his body cannot break down protein and can cause problems with brain development.

David told the St Helens Star: “Kirsty was only 22 when she was diagnosed. She had gone to the doctors and it was only out of curiosity that he sent her for a smear test. After the results they knew something was wrong.

“She then went to Whiston, where they confirmed she had cancer, but they were confident it would be removed.

“She underwent chemo, but it had spread to her cervix. If she’d have been screened at an early age, she may have stood a chance.

“But the district nurses and GP have provided Kirsty with excellent care since she was diagnosed. We can’t express enough our sincere thanks and gratitude.”

Sister-in-law and close friend Natalie added: “Kirsty is only 23-years-old and had her whole life in front of her. She deserved to see her little boy grow up!”

David added: “What we want to do is petition the Government to lower the age like it is in Scotland and Wales.

“Kirsty is so brave. She never complains or has a bad word and has even planned her own funeral.

“It’s me who is struggling to cope with this. All she wants to do is make young girls aware of cervical cancer and how it can affect someone so young.

“We hope that someone reading this can find inspiration to believe they can fight the illness and never give up.”

In the case of Jade Goody, the intense publicity that surrounded her death led to a review by a panel of experts into cervical cancer care, but they ultimately decided against lowering the age limit.

The Advisory Committee on Cervical Screening (ACCS) agreed unanimously not to lower the age.