A new mother who was repeatedly told her post-partum abdominal discomfort was normal has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Tia Faye Clark, 24, from Pembrokeshire, gave birth to her daughter Robyn in September 2025. Shortly after returning home, she noticed tenderness and a lump between her ribs. Despite raising concerns with seven medical professionals, she was told her symptoms were typical after childbirth.
Dismissed Symptoms
Clark, a barber, mentioned the lump to midwives who visited her home. 'I had two different midwives come out. I mentioned it to both of them and they were like “you’ve only given birth a couple of days ago, give it a few days,”' she recalled. At her eight-week check, her GP advised her to do sit-ups, attributing the issue to separated abdominal muscles, a condition known as diastasis recti.
'I showed her the pictures and I got her to feel around and she basically said that your abdominal muscles come apart when you have a baby,' Clark said. 'She said I needed to exercise for them to go back to where they would usually be.'
Devastating Diagnosis
By late December, the pain made it difficult to sleep, prompting a hospital visit on December 29. There, she received the devastating news: she had desmoplastic small round cell sarcoma, a rare and aggressive soft tissue cancer. Further tests revealed a 15cm tumour in her pelvis, an 18cm tumour on her liver, and smaller tumours inside it.
'I went from being fobbed off saying “you’ve just had a baby” to “you’ve got cancer,”' she said. 'It makes me mad to think about it now because they’ve told us there’s nothing they can do. They’re just going to try and contain the growth of the tumours but things changed so rapidly over Christmas and the six weeks I was in hospital.'
What is Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Sarcoma?
This rare type of soft tissue cancer most commonly occurs in the abdomen. Symptoms include a rapidly growing, often painful lump, abdominal pain and swelling, unexplained weight gain, nausea, and difficulty urinating or constipation.
Missed Opportunities
Clark's cancer is now terminal and very aggressive. She has undergone four rounds of chemotherapy and will need six more to try to shrink the tumours. 'When I was in hospital for the first three weeks, nobody could get their head around why nobody had picked up on it sooner,' she said. 'They were all asking me why I didn’t go to the GP sooner and I was like “I’ve been trying for months to get seen.” I just felt like nobody wanted to hear what I had to say.'
She believes young women are often not taken seriously. 'I feel like it happens to so many young girls especially, we’re just not taken seriously enough. It was awful. Now the more time goes on the more angry I’m getting.'
Diastasis Recti vs. Cancer
The condition Clark was initially misdiagnosed with, diastasis recti, is a common pregnancy side effect where abdominal muscles separate. According to the NHS, it usually resolves by eight weeks post-partum, though some women need physiotherapy. Regular pelvic floor and deep stomach muscle exercises can help. However, persistent pain should be investigated.
Fighting for Time
Clark is now focusing on making memories with her daughter. 'It is really, really hard, especially as a new mum,' she said. 'It’s hard to think about the things you might potentially miss out on and it’s hard to spend the time I have now to prepare her for the future and try to do nice things for her.' She has been creating photo albums and writing birthday cards. 'I just think I shouldn’t have to do that. I feel really let down by the whole system to be honest it all could’ve been avoided.'
A friend has set up a GoFundMe to support Clark during treatment. She hopes her story will raise awareness and prevent other mothers from experiencing similar delays.
