For Krystal Maeyke, the moment her world shattered didn’t come with a dramatic hospital scene or emotional goodbye. It started with a dull ache in her gut and the assumption it was a food intolerance. She was 39, healthy, active, and focused on raising her son. But what she brushed off as gluten sensitivity turned out to be stage four bowel cancer. Now she’s urging the world to pay attention to one overlooked symptom that she says cost her everything.
At first, the pain was tolerable. It came and went. She blamed stress, travel, maybe hormones. But then came the night sweats—so intense she woke up drenched, changing her clothes and sheets multiple times a week. Even then, she didn’t think it was serious.
Krystal Maeyke, 39, now has terminal cancer. Her warning: “I thought I was just reacting to gluten. I was wrong.” pic.twitter.com/pb7UGQG0Pw— UNILAD (@UNILAD) July 5, 2025
The truth came crashing down during a family holiday. While walking with her son, Krystal collapsed from pain. She was flown to Alice Springs Hospital in Australia, where scans revealed the truth: her cancer had spread beyond the bowel and into her lymph nodes. The diagnosis was terminal. There would be no surgery. No cure.
She was 39. She had no family history. She ate well. She exercised. But one symptom—those unexplained, drenching night sweats—had whispered for months before she listened.
She thought it was just heat. Or a cold. But those night sweats were her body screaming. Now it’s stage 4. Please read this. pic.twitter.com/wImxG5V7Um— LADbible (@ladbible) July 5, 2025
In an emotional interview with Unilad, Krystal said, “I wish I had known. I wish I had pushed harder. I kept telling myself I was just being dramatic. I wasn’t.”
Since her diagnosis, Krystal has started sharing her story through videos and posts on TikTok, hoping her pain will wake others up. In one clip, viewed nearly 2 million times, she pleads: “If you’re sweating through your sheets at night and it’s not a fever, get checked.”
Her GoFundMe now serves as both a fundraiser for her treatments and a rallying cry to thousands of women in their 30s and 40s who think cancer only strikes later in life.
This woman ignored night sweats for months. No one warned her it could be cancer. Her message is saving lives. pic.twitter.com/N3JoP7RrHR— PEOPLE (@people) July 5, 2025
Bowel cancer is rising sharply in younger women, especially under 50. According to Cancer Council Australia, over 15,000 Australians are diagnosed each year—and more than 1,600 are under the age of 40. What was once seen as an “older person’s disease” now affects women in their 30s and even late 20s.
In the U.S., the numbers are just as stark. CDC data shows colorectal cancer as the second deadliest cancer in the country, and cases in young adults have increased nearly 30% in the past two decades.
Krystal’s story mirrors others who dismissed early signs. In March, People profiled a “fit, healthy” mom who also ignored persistent cramping and fatigue. In June, a UK woman, Natalie Hunter, told The Courier-Mail she mistook bloating and shoulder pain for anxiety — until her cancer spread to her spine.
Natalie was told she was too young for bowel cancer. Her doctor dismissed her symptoms. She has stage 4 now. pic.twitter.com/fXkYu7cqAM— Daily Mail Australia (@DailyMailAU) July 5, 2025
Krystal isn’t just sharing her diagnosis. She’s exposing a blind spot in how women are treated when they report vague symptoms.
“I was told I looked too healthy,” she said. “That it was probably anxiety. That I should try cutting out dairy.”
Medical experts warn that persistent night sweats—especially paired with bloating, abdominal pain, or fatigue—can be an early sign of serious illness, including cancers, autoimmune disorders, and hormone-driven diseases.
“There’s this assumption that younger women are ‘fine,’” said Dr. Sarah Lee, a Sydney-based oncologist. “By the time they’re taken seriously, it’s often too late.”
Even with chemotherapy, Krystal’s cancer is incurable. It’s in her lymphatic system, and her doctors say her timeline is “measured in months, not years.”
But that hasn’t stopped her from trying to help others. Her video series “Don’t Ignore It” is now trending across multiple platforms. Viewers have commented with similar symptoms, some of whom have since gone in for screenings.
“I’m terrified,” Krystal admitted. “But if even one woman gets checked earlier because of me, then maybe it means something.”
She’s now spending as much time as possible with her son. Every photo, every voice memo, every journal entry is meant to give him pieces of her to hold onto after she’s gone.
“Someday he’s going to wonder how this happened. I want him to know I tried. And that my story maybe helped another mom live.”
“This is the face of someone who thought she was fine.” Krystal’s story is not rare. It’s just the one you’re hearing. Please get checked. pic.twitter.com/UOc78DN3rH— BBC News Health (@bbchealth) July 5, 2025
Her final message is heartbreakingly clear: “If you’re waking up soaked in sweat, feeling pain that doesn’t add up—don’t dismiss it. Push for tests. Push for scans. Push for your life.”
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