Kelly Hashemi, 41, raised concerns with medical professionals but was told her symptoms were perimenopause — a private scan then showed she had stage three ovarian cancer
A mother-of-one died from ovarian cancer after symptoms that included bleeding, bloating and anxiety were attributed to perimenopause, her husband has said.
Kelly Hashemi, a primary school teacher from Gateshead, was 37 when she began experiencing symptoms and repeatedly sought medical advice. But after concerns were reportedly linked to perimenopause, she paid for a private scan that revealed she had stage three ovarian cancer.
Despite undergoing two major operations and extensive treatment, Mrs Hashemi died in July last year aged 41. Her husband, Arya, 42, said the diagnosis came too late to offer a realistic chance of survival, reports Chronicle Live.
Now, as he prepares to run the Great North Run in her memory, Mr Hashemi is raising money for St Bede’s Hospice in Gateshead, where his wife spent the final three months of her life. More than £5,500 has already been donated to his appeal, which you can also donate to via this link.
The father-of-one explained: “If you catch ovarian cancer early it’s treatable but if you catch it late it’s a death sentence. It’s a really difficult cancer to deal with once it gets hold.
“Kelly was always extremely community-minded. She would have done her job for free. She had so much passion for teaching and gave every bit of her for the children she taught.
“She was a huge environmentalist, a vegetarian and she took her health really seriously. She was the most patient and loving mother. She just had endless love and energy and patience.
“We attempted to live near her primary school and when we were walking around you’d hear ‘Mrs Hashemi we love you”. I felt like I was walking around with a rock star. I was so proud of her. I was so proud that I was her husband. She was really special.”
Kelly and Arya, parents to 13-year-old Tabitha, shared their family home in the Low Fell area of Gateshead. Kelly received her ovarian cancer diagnosis in July 2022 following a privately-funded scan.
Arya, a practising lawyer, recalled: “Things didn’t feel right. She kept saying this is something else. When she received her diagnosis the doctor said ‘We have caught this at a late stage, you are going to die from this’.
“It was something that she never came to terms with. A simple blood test or simple scans would have picked this up earlier and there was a refusal to do that.”
Arya revealed that Kelly underwent extensive surgery and spent a fortnight in intensive care, followed by several months of rehabilitation before beginning chemotherapy.
He said: “The surgery was enormous. They operated from her throat to the top of her pubic bone. She had to have a full hysterectomy and part of her liver, bladder and diaphragm removed. It was really, really painful rehabilitation. It was a really bleak time.”
In September 2024, Kelly was asked to work in early years at Newcastle High School for Girls, where she spent roughly seven weeks before a scan confirmed her cancer had returned. She was told that with further surgery she could have a year to live and without it she would have a few months.
“She decided to have the surgery again to have some more time with Tabitha and she had that surgery early November”, Arya recalled. “She lost her bowel and it made no difference, the cancer just kept growing.”
Kelly was admitted to St Bede’s Hospice, based within the Queen Elizabeth Hospital grounds. After spending three months receiving care there, she died in July 2025.
Arya, who now lives in Fenham, Newcastle, with Tabitha, explained: “Her biggest worry was not seeing her daughter grow. Kelly was super prepared and she wrote me lists of things I must do.
“I would say to her ‘I don’t know how I’m going to do this without you’. She would say ‘You just have to put one foot in front of the other’. I wake up every morning and say ‘One foot in front of the other’.
“Our daughter is such a special kid. She’s incredibly resilient and determined. She uses school and sport as her form or recovery from this. She represents the region in hockey and netball.
“I just drive her across the country for the sports. We sit in the car next to each other for hours and we talk about her mum a lot.”
On September 13, Arya will participate in the Great North Run as a tribute to his late wife. His online fundraising campaign for the hospice has already raised more than £5,500 in contributions. Arya said: “She had such fear about going into the hospice and losing her dignity and independence. Every single one of their team went over and above, showering her with love, and all of her fears just disappeared.
“They were so kind and compassionate to her. It was an absolute lifeline to me and my family.
I have stuck religiously to my training plan. I’m scared but I’m very excited about doing it. I know it’s going to be really emotional. It was something Kelly did. She always talked about it as being one of the greatest things she’d ever done. It’s a really nice tribute to Kelly.”
Arya said Tabitha has been supportive of his fundraising efforts. He said: “She thinks I’m mad getting up at five in the morning to do my practice runs but she keeps telling me she’s really proud of me which is all the motivation I need.”
Arya has urged anybody who is concerned about their health to push for help. He said: “I think the only person who really knows if something is wrong if yourself. If something feels wrong fight your corner. No one is going to advocate for you, you have to advocate for yourself.”
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