A mother whose son died from bowel cancer at the age of 40 is urging others not to ignore the signs of illness and to seek help early if they have concerns.

Ruth Cowin’s son, Daniel, died in June 2024 after delaying a visit to his GP, despite knowing something wasn’t right. He had no family history of cancer and led a healthy lifestyle.

‘Daniel was intelligent, lovely, kind, and always had a good laugh,’ said Ruth. ‘He had an amazing wife, a wonderful sister, and great friends. He was healthy, didn’t smoke and ate properly. We were at a loss as to how he even got bowel cancer in the first place.

‘He was just getting on with his life and thought whatever it was would go away. We weren’t used to hospitals or doctors, so it took a while to persuade him to go. Unfortunately, you don’t want to give it any time, because in the end it spread to his liver and lungs.

‘His loss is a hole in all of our lives that we’ll never be able to fill.’

Ruth is now working with Public Health Isle of Man to support its Bowel Cancer Awareness campaign, which is running throughout April. The campaign aims to highlight that bowel cancer can affect people of all ages - not just those eligible for routine screening.

As part of her efforts, Ruth has been putting up posters around the island to encourage others to be aware of the symptoms, including on the backs of toilet cubicle doors where they’re more likely to be seen.

‘I noticed there wasn’t much information about bowel cancer around the island, and I wanted to help raise awareness,’ she said. ‘Everybody’s support has been wonderful. If we can help even one person get checked earlier, it’s worth it.

‘You’re never too young to get it, so if you notice anything unusual, get to your GP straight away and get it ruled out.’

Symptoms to watch for include blood in your stool, unexplained bloating or abdominal pain, a change in bowel habits, or feeling like you haven’t finished going to the toilet.

For more information, visit the Public Health Isle of Man website or speak to your GP.

Watch the full interview with Ruth Cowin in the video above.