At 37, Krystal Maeyke was the picture of health — active, strong, and full of life. So when she began feeling stabbing pains in her stomach, she brushed them off as food allergies.
“I thought it was nothing serious,” she said. “But cancer was growing inside me the whole time.”
Krystal’s pain became unbearable. Living in remote Australia, she had to be airlifted 280 miles to the nearest hospital. There, she received heartbreaking news: stage 4 metastatic bowel cancer. The disease had quietly spread to her liver, ovaries, and abdomen.
“Cancer hurts,” she admitted. “The hardest part isn’t my pain — it’s knowing my son might grow up without me.”
Krystal is now 39 and bravely sharing her journey to help others spot the early signs: night sweats, bloating, and changes in bowel habits. She urges others not to dismiss their symptoms.
“I was fit and healthy,” she says. “This can happen to anyone.”
Her final plea is one we all should hear: “Don’t wait. Listen to your body. It might save your life.”
