Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard
Subscribe
Health

Teen died after being misdiagnosed with UTI

By Larissa Hurt Reporter
5
Skip to next photo
1/1
Show caption
1/1
This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald.

A teenager who was treated at John Radcliffe Hospital died from cancer after being misdiagnosed with a urine infection.

Chloe Venton, from Swindon, died aged 17 after a two-year battle with Ewing sarcoma, a rare and aggressive type of bone cancer.

Her mother, Joanne Venton, said: "It breaks my heart to think Chloe may still be here if they hadn't misdiagnosed her at first and then missed the leukaemia."

Chloe first began experiencing severe pain, night sweats and frequent trips to the toilet at age 15.

Doctors initially diagnosed her with a urinary tract infection (UTI), but when antibiotics failed to work, her mother refused to leave the GP surgery until further tests were carried out.

A scan at Great Western Hospital revealed a tumour on her spine.

She was referred to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford for more tests, including blood work, MRIs, and CT scans.

READ MORE: Calls for safety review of 'dangerous' Oxfordshire A-road

Chloe Venton, in 2019 during her cancer journey.Chloe Venton, in 2019 during her cancer journey. (Image: Joanne Venton / SWNS)

Ms Venton said: "We were pushed to different teams because no one knew what was going on.

"I was about to discharge her, but a consultant took me and my husband to the side and said they were so concerned and to keep her in hospital.

"I’ll never forget the next morning.

"Gary and I were taken to a small, cold white room and told she had cancer.

"It was a whirlwind from there."

Chloe was quickly diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma and began chemotherapy within hours.

After 10 cycles of chemotherapy, proton therapy, and five additional rounds of treatment, Chloe became unwell again.

She developed a rash, which doctors initially dismissed as a side effect of treatment.

Her mother insisted that something was seriously wrong.

Ms Venton said: "Again, I had to fight the doctors that something wasn't right.

"That rash turned out to be leukaemia cutis, leukaemia of the skin, and she was also diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, a blood cancer that starts in the bone marrow."

Chloe died in July 2020.

Chloe Venton, pictured just over a month before her death - she died aged 17 in July 2020. // A teenage girl died of cancer after she was misdiagnosed with a urine infection and told to take ibuprofen. At just 15 years old, Chloe Venton was waking up in the middle of the night screaming in pain for months, but doctors kept insisting it was just a urinary tract infection (UTI). It was only after Chloe’s mum Joanne Venton, 42, refused to leave the GP surgery unless they ran more tests that she was referred to the local hospital. Scans at the Great Western Hospital revealed a tumour on Chloe’s spine, and she was quickly referred to John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, to undergo more tests. It was here that Joanne received the devastating diagnosis that her daughter Chloe had an aggressive form of Ewing sarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Two years after her first diagnosis, Joanne had to fight doctors again to get Chloe diagnosed with leukaemia, a secondary cancer, which ultimately led to her death aged 17.Chloe Venton, pictured just over a month before her death (Image: Joanne Venton / SWNS)

Due to Covid-19 restrictions at the time, the family were forced to hold a socially distanced funeral.

Ms Venton said: "It was a complete nightmare and something we will always hate the Government for.

"They had parties while we couldn't spend our final days together as a family.

Chloe Venton, with her mum Joanne and family during cancer treatment. // A teenage girl died of cancer after she was misdiagnosed with a urine infection and told to take ibuprofen. At just 15 years old, Chloe Venton was waking up in the middle of the night screaming in pain for months, but doctors kept insisting it was just a urinary tract infection (UTI). It was only after Chloe’s mum Joanne Venton, 42, refused to leave the GP surgery unless they ran more tests that she was referred to the local hospital. Scans at the Great Western Hospital revealed a tumour on Chloe’s spine, and she was quickly referred to John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, to undergo more tests. It was here that Joanne received the devastating diagnosis that her daughter Chloe had an aggressive form of Ewing sarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Two years after her first diagnosis, Joanne had to fight doctors again to get Chloe diagnosed with leukaemia, a secondary cancer, which ultimately led to her death aged 17.Chloe Venton, with her mum Joanne and family during cancer treatment. (Image: Joanne Venton / SWNS)

"We weren't allowed funeral cars so I had to drive myself behind my own daughter's coffin, it was horrific."

Chloe’s family hope that by sharing her story, they can raise awareness of rare cancers in children and prevent similar tragedies

Ms Venton said: "Chloe’s laugh was infectious, her smile was amazing, she had the biggest heart, and she wouldn't complain or cry to anyone except me."

Health

Get involved
with the news

Send your news & photos