A Runcorn father has travelled to Germany for a second stem cell transplant after the NHS would not fund the treatment. Sean Turner, 40, is now recovering in Dresden following the procedure.
Sean, who has a young son, was previously told there were no further treatment options available to him on the NHS after his blood cancer returned following his first transplant. He has raised over £63,000 on GoFundMe and borrowed money from friends and family to pay for the treatment.
Cancer diagnosis and relapse
Sean was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in 2024 after experiencing symptoms including chronic tiredness, feeling generally unwell and swollen gums. He has a rare mutation of the disease known as KMT2A.
He underwent his first stem cell transplant in November 2024, but his cancer returned in June 2025. He subsequently went on a clinical drug trial and went into remission in September, before relapsing again in February this year.
Campaign for policy change
The case comes as three blood cancer charities launch a campaign calling on NHS England to change its policy on second stem cell transplants. Anthony Nolan, DKMS UK and Leukaemia UK say patients whose cancer returns less than 12 months after their first transplant can currently be denied a second transplant under NHS England's policy, introduced in 2017.
The charities argue that advances in transplantation mean decisions should instead be made on an individual basis, taking into account the patient's circumstances and the judgement of specialist doctors.
Emotional and financial strain
Sean said travelling to Germany had given him and his family hope, but the process had come at a huge emotional and financial cost. His wife Rebbecca has had to keep working and care for their son while he recovers hundreds of miles away.
Other patients have also spoken about being forced to fundraise for second transplants. Ruth Wake, 58, relapsed nine months after her first transplant for AML and was told she would move to palliative care once her temporary treatment stopped working. She was eventually able to access a second transplant through a private healthcare provider and is now recovering.
Faith Hinitt, 28, also diagnosed with AML, had to launch a fundraising appeal after her cancer returned following her first stem cell transplant.
Charities respond
Yasmin Sheikh, Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Anthony Nolan, said transplant medicine had "moved forward significantly" since the current policy was introduced. Michael Gallagher, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at DKMS UK, said the campaign was not calling for automatic access to a second transplant. Georgia Papacleovoulou, Head of Policy and Advocacy at Leukaemia UK, said treatment decisions should be based on clinical need.
In a BBC article last year with a similar case study, an NHS spokesperson said: "Living with cancer is extremely difficult and the NHS is committed to improving care and outcomes by ensuring patients have access to the latest innovative treatments on the NHS."
