Mum Dies at 40 After Nasal Pain Turns Out to Be Aggressive Cancer

A vibrant mother tragically passed away three years after initially complaining of pain in her nose, which was mistakenly diagnosed as sinusitis. Katie Froggatt began experiencing nasal pain in June 2021, according to the Liverpool Echo. The Southport mum sought medical advice, and doctors initially attributed her discomfort to sinusitis.

However, months later, she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of sinus cancer and underwent surgery to remove her nose. Despite her relentless battle against the disease and efforts to fundraise for treatment in America, Katie passed away on Friday, June 28, at the age of 40. Katie leaves behind her husband Ste and daughter Myla. She was described by those close to her as the ‘bubbliest person you will ever meet.’

Her best friend Nicola Patterson previously told the Echo, “At the start of June 2021, she was complaining of what she thought was sinusitis. She was put on antibiotics, but it turned out to be sinus cancer. From June to December, she just got put on antibiotics and thought she had polyps.”

Nicola continued, “In January last year, she got diagnosed with sinus cancer, an aggressive cancer, and had an operation to have part of her nose removed. It’s now come back despite having major operations as well as radiotherapy. She was going to get her nose reconstructed, but in September last year, it came back. Then in December, she had to have her nose removed. The cancer has now spread to her lungs. It’s awful. She needs a prosthetic nose and she’s trying another round of radiotherapy on her lungs.”

Katie, who was a hairdresser before her diagnosis in 2022, had to stop working while undergoing treatment. Despite over a year of fundraising efforts to get Katie to America for treatment, she tragically passed away surrounded by her loved ones.

Nicola, a close friend of Katie’s for 25 years, took to social media to pay tribute to her best mate. She wrote, “If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever. My heart is broken, I already want you back. You fought so hard to the end, sleep tight bez.”

“Life will never be the same. Thank you for loving me as much as I loved you. True soul sisters, our memories will live with me forever and get me through the hard days. Keep thinking of your unforgettable laugh till we meet again. I promise we will look after Ste and Myla, we will help them through and all the family too. Sleep tight.”