{"id":12904,"date":"2026-05-13T05:47:56","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T05:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kkltrust.org\/?p=12904"},"modified":"2026-05-14T07:25:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T07:25:03","slug":"a-leukaemia-survivor-is-urging-faster-diagnosis-and-more-urgent-improvements-in-the-detection-of-the-disease","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kkltrust.org\/?p=12904","title":{"rendered":"A leukaemia survivor is urging faster diagnosis and more urgent improvements in the detection of the disease"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Ian Thomson, 54, from Winchester in Hampshire, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in June 2019 after experiencing prolonged fatigue, swollen tonsils, and a lump under his arm.<\/p>

Despite visiting his GP twice with these symptoms, he was never given a Full Blood Count test, a simple screening that can help detect leukaemia.<\/p>

His condition deteriorated until his wife took him to A&E, where he was taken to\u00a0Royal Hampshire County Hospital\u00a0and finally diagnosed.<\/p>

Mr Thomson said: “I saw my local GP twice, but he didn\u2019t take it seriously.<\/p>

“The symptoms got worse and by June 2019, I\u2019d deteriorated to the point where I couldn\u2019t get out of bed.<\/p>

“It was then that my wife Amanda rushed me to A&E.”<\/p>

He was diagnosed with AML, a highly aggressive form of leukaemia that requires immediate treatment.<\/p>

Nearly 80 per cent of people diagnosed with AML in the UK do not survive beyond five years.<\/p>

Mr Thomson underwent six months of intensive chemotherapy and was told that without a stem cell transplant, his chances of survival were low.<\/p>

He received a transplant in February 2020 at Southampton Hospital through the donor register.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ian and wife Amanda meet donor Rachel and her mum<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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He said: “I\u2019m incredibly fortunate.<\/p>

“I\u2019m back doing everything I did before, but I know how close I came to not being here.<\/p>

“My diagnosis had a profound physical and mental impact on both me and my loved ones.<\/p>

“While the treatment I received was incredible, I\u2019ll never forget how my symptoms were initially dismissed.<\/p>

“I don\u2019t want anyone else to go through that \u2013 something needs to change.”<\/p>

He later met his donor, Rachel, a nurse from Glasgow, after corresponding anonymously for several years.<\/p>

They have since developed a close friendship.<\/p>

Mr Thomson is backing Leukaemia UK\u2019s Count Us In campaign, which calls for improved access to Full Blood Count tests and clearer referral pathways to prevent delays in diagnosis.<\/p>

Fiona Hazell, chief executive of Leukaemia UK, said: “Ian\u2019s experience is a story that we sadly hear far too often from patients and their families, with many people reaching an avoidable crisis point before they\u2019re diagnosed.<\/p>

“The Government has finally recognised the need for earlier leukaemia diagnosis in the National Cancer Plan, but recognition is only the first step \u2013 action is what saves lives.”<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Learn more about leukaemia<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ian Thomson, 54, from Winchester in Hampshire, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in June 2019 after experiencing prolonged fatigue, swollen tonsils, and a lump under his arm. Despite visiting his GP twice with these symptoms, he was never given a Full Blood Count test, a simple screening that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12906,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_theme","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nA leukaemia survivor is urging faster diagnosis and more urgent improvements in the detection of the disease - Kevin Kararwa Leukaemia Trust<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kkltrust.org\/?p=12904\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A leukaemia survivor is urging faster diagnosis and more urgent improvements in the detection of the disease\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Ian Thomson, 54, from Winchester in Hampshire, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in June 2019 after experiencing prolonged fatigue, swollen tonsils, and a lump under his arm. 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