A grandfather-of-two who dismissed his symptoms as a bad cold was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia on New Year's Day 2023. Ashley Grey, 59, from Hillsborough, Sheffield, is now in recovery after undergoing a stem cell transplant.
Ashley began to feel unwell in December 2022. He initially dismissed his symptoms, but developed a fever and was shaking during Christmas week. His wife called 111, and he was brought to A&E at Northern General Hospital, where tests showed his healthy blood counts were "on the floor".
Diagnosis and Treatment
Ashley was soon transferred to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, where a bone marrow biopsy led to his diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia on New Year's Day 2023. He underwent several rounds of chemotherapy, lost his hair, and remained an inpatient for seven weeks before being allowed to continue treatment as an ambulatory care patient.
On May 16, 2023, Ashley received a stem cell transplant, which was performed thanks to the generosity of a stranger. The transplant took place on his daughter's birthday.
Recovery and New Career
Ashley, a former lorry driver, returned to work on a part-time basis and noticed a job as a non-emergency patient transport worker. Today, he helps transport disabled, elderly, sick or vulnerable people to and from outpatient clinics, day care centres and routine hospital admissions. He said: "I really enjoy getting people home and talking to people. One of the best things was when I first went back up to the O2 day ward in my job rather than as a patient and I saw one of the nurses that treated me there."
He added: "To be there and to be better and doing something for others, it meant so much. Everybody and everyone in the hospital team have been absolutely brilliant. I can't thank them enough."
Leukaemia Statistics and Medical Advances
Every year around 3,100 people are diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in the UK. A stem cell transplant is often the only hope of a cure.
Dr Alex Kanellopoulos, Consultant Haematologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Sheffield is a major centre for stem cell transplantation and everyone here is so proud of Ashley and all he has achieved following treatment."
He noted that although treatments for acute myeloid leukaemia have remained largely unchanged for decades, significant breakthroughs have occurred in recent years, including genetic techniques to track DNA changes and patient-specific markers of the disease, improving outcomes. New maintenance therapies have also helped lower the risk of relapse.
Dr Kanellopoulos also highlighted the ambulatory care service, which allows certain patients to receive treatments like high-dose chemotherapy without an overnight hospital stay, helping patients retain normality and independence during intensive treatment.
