I thought I would add a message to this amazing and unique community to hopefully add some words of comfort as I was so desperate for them many months back.
Back in February of this year, my younger sister was diagnosed with Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) at the age of 25. The news was devastating to not only my sister but to us all as a family.
Its very cliche to say, but it’s news you never dreamt you’d hear. For myself, I was angry, scared and lost. So I came online desperately seeking advice and guidance and found this site. During my sisters fight with her cancer, I looked for advise from others going through treatment and found comfort from many lovely people on this site.
My sister endured a very difficult time in her treatment, she was in ICU for a week, on oxygen, in and out of hospital with staying in for months on end, isolating from us all. With needing a stem cell transplant to gain remission, to which I was lucky enough to be her donor. Her transplant was tough on her but with the help from the amazing team at Addenbrooke hospital, she recovered well and is now in remission from cancer, with no signs of cancer left!
I hope my sisters story helps others going through their battle or whether it be a family member or friend you know. There can be light at the end of the very dark tunnel.
Thank you so much for sharing your sister’s story. I also cared for someone with Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), so your words really resonated with me.
What you describe with the mix of shock, fear, anger, and that desperate search for reassurance is something so many families recognise but struggle to put into words. Being both a sibling and a carer, and then becoming a stem cell donor as well, is an incredible act of love. That journey through ICU, long hospital stays, isolation, and transplant is unimaginably hard, not just for the person diagnosed but for everyone walking alongside them.
Reading that your sister is now in remission is really uplifting. For those who are in the middle of treatment, or still facing so many unknowns, stories like yours really do matter. They don’t erase the fear, but they offer something just as important: hope, and the reminder that even after the darkest stretches, there can be light again.
Thank you for coming back to this community to give comfort when you once needed it yourself. I know your message will mean a great deal to others who are reading quietly, searching for reassurance just as you once did. Wishing continued strength and good health to you and your sister!