A young woman diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia after doctors initially suspected diabetes has described how her life transformed in 'the blink of an eye'.
A Sudden Diagnosis
Ayley Crawford was just 19 when she began experiencing persistent sinus infections, colds, muscle weakness, and even fainted during a university exam in March 2024. Now 21, Crawford recalled being referred to University Hospital Wishaw in her hometown for tests when doctors thought she might have diabetes. By that time, she was struggling to eat or drink, and a painful abscess had appeared under her arm.
Weeks later, the student nurse was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer with a five-year survival rate of only 20%. She immediately started treatment and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy, but feared she might not survive.
“My first thought was, ‘I’m going to die’,” she said. “I knew something was wrong, but I never thought it would be cancer. My hair thinned and I felt sick all the time. It was hard being away from home, but I was in quite good spirits thanks to the staff at the Beatson cancer centre. I kept thinking, I just need to get through this and then I’ll get back to my life.”
Relapse and Transplant
By November 2024, Crawford was in remission. She found part-time work, went on holiday, and planned to return to university. However, in March 2025, a routine check-up revealed her cancer had returned, and she would need a stem cell transplant. An anonymous donor from Australia provided the cells.
She was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow for the procedure in July 2025, with only a few visitors allowed, including her partner Riley. “I was devastated,” she said. “I felt like everything I went through had been for nothing. I’d been feeling so well, it was a complete shock. Going through transplant was the worst thing I’ve ever endured. I had ulcers in my digestive tract, leading to significant weight loss. I wasn’t allowed out of my room for five weeks, but my mum, Riley, and my friend Melissa could visit.”
After the transplant, Crawford had to isolate for three months and took multiple medications, which caused side effects like rashes and swelling around her eyes. “Even walking from my bedroom to the bathroom felt too much,” she said. “It was hard dealing with how I looked as a young woman. Thankfully, my family and friends supported me greatly. I slowly recovered and was able to celebrate Christmas 2025, which was so special.”
Looking Forward
Now once again in remission, Crawford plans to travel this summer and return to university in September. “I’m grateful for the treatment, but the anxiety about relapse will never leave,” she said. “My experience with leukaemia has impacted my life massively. I was a 19-year-old finding my feet, and it was all taken away in the blink of an eye. I was supposed to graduate this year and missed countless experiences with friends. But the one good thing is that it will make me a better nurse. I was glad I was studying nursing, as it made medical terms easier and I could explain everything to friends and family. Every ward I was on, the nurses wanted me to join them once qualified. So I may go into oncology. But my main aim is to get back to university and catch up on missed time.”
Fiona Hazell, chief executive of Leukaemia UK, said: “Many people aren’t aware of the signs and symptoms of leukaemia until they or someone they know is diagnosed. We are grateful to Ayley for sharing her story and helping raise awareness. Early diagnosis saves lives, so we want more people to know the signs and to ask their GP for a full blood count test if they experience them. Together, we can stop leukaemia from devastating so many lives.”
