A HEARTBROKEN woman who has been diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer is urging other women not to make the same mistake as her - and to get their smear checks done.

Suzie Garner, of Sheriff Hutton, near York, says she has stage 4 cancer which has spread to her lymph nodes, and she has been told surgery is not an option.

"I genuinely can't express how it feels to lose all control like this," she said. "There's definitely no easy way through this."

Suzie,41, claimed she was told she had a big fibroid after having an ultrasound in March, and was very relieved to have an explanation for her symptoms that wasn't anything more serious.

She said she felt like she was being a bother each time she contacted her GP surgery, where she was told that all her pain and bleeding was 'normal.'

She claimed three months had been wasted before she discovered she actually had a cancerous mass. She was told that fibroids were 'far, far more common and hence any uterine masses are presumed to be a fibroid.'

Suzie said she felt the situation she was in had to bring about a positive change for others. "It has to help others, good must come out of this somehow," she said. "I have to make this count.

"If I can encourage one person to go who was hesitant, or if I can persuade them to challenge their doctor about an issue they know isn't right but no one is taking seriously, do it, please.

"Please don't make the same stupid mistake I did. I'm begging you. Please listen to me and go get your checks done."

She said she was heartbroken but she didn't need sympathy or suggestions. "No doubt I'll go quiet and try to fight this on my own but I'm not shutting people out. I just promise to try my best."

She said she had her 'handsome prince' partner Jason to look after her, but unfortunately he was struggling.

Suzie spoke out as her identical twin sister Emma appealed for people to back a fundraising appeal to ease Suzie's financial worries and also to look into getting a second opinion and possible private treatment for her. "Please help me save my sister," she said.

"They are saying surgery isn't an option. This is not something we can accept.

"She has been catastrophically failed by the system and we need to raise as much money as we can to ensure we can get her second opinions and private treatment and to also just ease the financial burden of this utter horror story she's living in."

*An online appeal for Suzie, which can be found by searching for 'gofundme suzie and jason' has already raised more than £2,500.