Maddy Stikeleather, a 23-year-old from Michigan, faced a harrowing journey from persistent leg and back pain to a terminal cancer diagnosis, a path complicated by what she described as dismissed symptoms by medical professionals.
What began as a sharp pain in her right leg and lower back in the summer of 2025, Stikeleather initially attributed to a pulled muscle from a prior gymnastics injury. The pain worsened, particularly at night, making sleep and her job at a bar increasingly difficult. "I started to move a lot slower, I couldn't keep up with anybody," Stikeleather said. "The pain just wouldn't go away, especially at night time, it made it really difficult to sleep."
In August 2025, she sought care at an emergency department, where she was diagnosed with a bulging disc and sciatica. She reported that the doctor offered no treatment and advised her to see a primary care physician, stating she should not return unless she lost bowel control.
Despite attending physical therapy and experiencing worsening pain, Stikeleather visited the emergency department multiple times. During one visit, she was told she might be pregnant, as her periods had stopped. By this time, her right leg had become numb, and she lost sensation related to bathroom use, necessitating a strict, religiously timed schedule to avoid accidents.
It was not until November 2025, over four months after the pain began, that doctors ordered scans after she returned to the emergency department in tears. The scans revealed a lime-sized mass on her lower right back, encroaching on vital blood vessels and her urethra, along with nodules in her lungs. Doctors believe the mass was pressing on her sciatic nerve, causing the pain attributed to sciatica.
Surgery was performed to address her urethra, and biopsies were taken. Three weeks later, Stikeleather received a diagnosis of Leiomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer of the smooth muscle cells. The cancer was stage four, meaning it had spread, and was inoperable due to its proximity to vital blood vessels. Doctors estimated she had two years to live without intervention.
"It just took so long to get the diagnosis, and my mass was growing at such a quick rate, that we all believe - even the doctors - that the delay led to me being diagnosed at a much later stage," Stikeleather stated. She noted that a nurse had mentioned many young female patients experienced similar dismissals of their symptoms.
In January 2026, Stikeleather began chemotherapy. While scans in June 2026 showed some lung nodules had been eradicated, new ones had appeared, and the primary tumor's growth had slowed but not stopped. It had grown to the size of an orange. She is now on a different chemotherapy regimen and is considering seeking treatment at a different hospital if it proves ineffective.
Stikeleather continues to manage her illness by spending time with family and pursuing enjoyable activities, while planning for her 24th birthday. "I had plans to become an English teacher in South Korea. But now, I feel like I'm just getting by," she said. "I'm remaining positive, however, and hoping that this new chemotherapy works."