Inside Dale Bowes’ health battle as Steph’s Packed Lunch star, 28, dies after fighting cancer since age of seven
STEPH'S Packed Lunch star Dale Bowes battled with terminal cancer for 21 years before tragically losing his life this morning.
Dale had been fighting incurable synovial sarcoma of the left lung since first being diagnosed in 2003 at age seven.
He was once again diagnosed in 2021 and for a third and final time in 2022.
Sarcomas are a cancer that develop in any part of the body.
They are an uncommon disease and can strike inside or outside, including your muscles, bones, tendons, blood vessels and fatty tissues.
A GoFundMe page raising funds for the star's funeral reports that Dale took a turn for the worse last month before he sadly passed away this morning.
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It explains: "In March 2024, we got the news we had been dreading.
"There were no more treatment options for Dale as he had become too unwell.
"Dale was transferred to the care of St Gemma’s Hospice and returned home.
"Within a week, Dale was placed on an oxygen machine at home. Dale continued to get worse until he was admitted into St Gemma’s Hospice on the 25th of March 2024 for end-of-life care.
"Dale continued to fight despite all of the odds and is an inspiration to us all."
What causes sarcoma and what are the symptoms?
Medics don't fully understand why sarcomas happen and more research still needs to be done.
The main symptoms include:
- a lump which is growing, changing, or bigger than a golf ball
- swelling, tenderness or pain in or around the bone which may come and go and may be worse at night
- stomach pain, feeling sick, loss of appetite or feeling full after eating only a small amount of food
- blood in either your poo or vomit
Sarcoma can be treated and many people will have tumours removed with surgery.
In March last year while on the show, Dale gave his thoughts on assistant dying after his diagnosis.
He told Steph: "I've been told that current treatments will not cure my cancer.
"One of the treatments could help me but at the moment if I deteriorate into a situation where I'm suffering I think it should be the decision of the person who is going through that."