Danielle Green lost her own mother to cancer when she was just seven-years-old
Kristy Dawson Multi-Media Journalist
17:52, 16 Apr 2026Updated 17:53, 16 Apr 2026
Danielle Green (right) and her partner Gareth Gwyer (Image: Chronicle Live)
A mother-of-three has urged women to go for their smear test after being diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer. Danielle Green, from Cramlington, Northumberland, said she would put off going for cervical screening due to embarrassment.
In February this year, she was struggling with her breathing and tests revealed that she had cancer. Medics discovered that the disease had developed in her cervix and spread to other organs.
Danielle, who is mam to Kenzie, 15, Kadie, 14, and Darcie, 11, lost her own mother Margaret Green, 47, to breast cancer in 1998, when she was just seven years old.
Danielle has urged women to go for their smear test (Image: Chronicle Live )
Danielle, 35, told ChronicleLive: “I have had one smear test before, I kept putting them off. I thought it was embarrassing and I thought to myself I’ll book it tomorrow. When I was told I had cervical cancer my first instinct was to say why didn’t I go for that test?
“I was in shock. I thought it wouldn’t happen to me. I was reliving what happened to my mam. I always said I didn’t want my kids growing up without their mam but it looks like they’re going to.
“It’s not a nice thing to go through when I have three young kids. I don’t want anyone else to have to experience that. It’s just an awful thing.”
Danielle’s partner Gareth Gwyer, 39, who has gave up work to look after her, said: “If some good could come out of our bad news and she could save someone else that would make Danielle happy.”
Danielle with her partner of 17 years Gareth(Image: Chronicle Live)
Danielle initially had irregular periods and doctors told her that she could be starting the menopause early. Gareth said: “They did request for her to go for a smear test but Danielle wasn’t very confident. She put it to the back of her mind and didn’t end up going.”
In November last year, she developed a bad chest. She was diagnosed with heart failure and pneumonia. Gareth said that she was put under a cardio specialist and given multiple tablets.
However by February this year she still had a cough and was struggling to breathe. A x-ray of her chest at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital picked up her liver, which had nodules of cancer.
Danielle with her son Kenzie (Image: Chronicle Live)
Medics then carried out a full pelvic scan and discovered she had cervical cancer which had spread. Gareth said: “They said ‘I’m sorry it’s not good news’. They told us there and then that it wasn’t curable.
“It’s a big shock, it’s scary. But we have a lot of support around us. Danielle’s sister Sharon has been our rock.”
Danielle has been told she has around 12 months left to live with chemotherapy and two to three years if she has the treatment. She was due start chemotherapy earlier this month but was not strong enough.
Danielle Green is been diagnosed with incurable cervical cancer (Image: Chronicle Live)
Gareth, who is originally from Wales, said: “She was meant to start chemotherapy on the 4th April but Danielle has not been strong enough in herself. She ended up getting a blood clot in her leg and ended up getting sores in her mouth.
“Danielle made the decision not to go for the chemotherapy. She has not made a decision yet as to whether she’s going to have chemotherapy. She’s trying to get herself stronger. In the last two weeks she has got a lot stronger.
“I have been there everyday for Danielle. It’s opened my eyes to what I took for granted while being a parent to my kids. I was always the worker and Danielle was the one that would stay at home with the kids.
Danielle with Darcie (Image: Chronicle Live )
“I have took over everything – the cooking, the cleaning and sorting all her tablets out. We’re just taking it day by day. Danielle has good days and she has bad days.
“The prognosis is 12 months without chemo and, with chemo, it is two to three years. The way things are progressing, as a family, we think it will happen sooner rather than later.
“It’s scary the thought of being a single dad to three kids but I have promised Danielle that they will do well.”
Danielle and Gareth have sat their children down and told them about Danielle’s diagnosis. They said they have support in place for them and their schools have been brilliant.
Danielle said: “I try to get them to talk to me about it so they’re not holding it all in.”
The couple, who have been together for 17 years, had planned to get married in 2021 but had their wedding cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic. They are now looking to tie the know as soon as possible.
Danielle with her daughter Kadie(Image: Chronicle Live )
Danielle’s sister Sharon Heath, 51, has set up a fundraising page to help the couple get married and go on one last family holiday to Butlins. More than £1400 has already been donated to the Go Fund Me page.
Gareth said: “We want to try out best to get some sort of wedding whether it’s getting married in the house, getting married in a registry office or a church. We want to arrange something in about four weeks.
“We have been trying to find the right time at the moment, it depends on how she is.
“We have always went to Butlins because Danielle is scared of flying. We go every year without fail and that’s her wish – to get one final holiday with the kids.
“We’re overwhelmed. The amount of support we have received is crazy.”
Gareth said Danielle’s diagnosis has already led to number of family members and people they know to going for their smear test. He added: “It’s not just women, it’s a message for men too with their prostate. Go and get checked!”
According to the NHS, the main symptoms of cervical cancer include:
- vaginal bleeding that’s unusual for you – including bleeding during or after sex, between your periods or after the menopause, or having heavier periods than usual
- changes to your vaginal discharge
- pain during sex
- pain in your lower back, between your hip bones (pelvis), or in your lower tummy
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