Derrick Derbyshire, who was warned he might not survive the night or live to see his 21st birthday, has been reunited with the doctor who saved his life more than four decades ago. Derrick, now 63, was admitted to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in March 1982, aged 18, bedridden and barely able to walk. His parents were cautioned that he might not make it through the night.
A life-saving transplant
Derrick was placed on Ward 12 under the care of Dr Howard "Howie" Scarffe, now 79, who later became the founding head of the Adult Leukaemia Unit (ALU) at The Christie. Derrick was told that without a bone marrow transplant, he was unlikely to reach the age of 21. Following chemotherapy, he underwent the transplant in September 1983.
Derrick had also been told he would in all probability never father children due to the effects of his treatment, yet he and his wife Tracey went on to welcome two sons naturally. Now retired and living in Davyhulme, Greater Manchester, Derrick has been reunited with Howie, who treated him more than 40 years ago.
An emotional reunion
Speaking about reuniting with Howie in person for the first time in 39 years, Derrick said: "It was an emotional day for me. I owe him my gratitude because he was a pioneer and I was just a patient at a certain time that needed his help. I'll be forever grateful for Howie."
Howie added: "You wouldn't believe the story, if it wasn't Derrick. Seeing him again was emotional for all of us. When I became a consultant, my aim was to cure at least one patient of leukaemia. I later thought Derrick might be that one."
A remarkable journey
Before his diagnosis, Derrick had always led an active lifestyle, playing sports including football and squash, training for marathons, and describing himself as "a fit 18-year-old". Gradually, he noticed his training becoming increasingly difficult, with persistent fatigue, weight loss, and bouts of sickness. Despite visiting his GP several times and being prescribed antibiotics, leukaemia was not "on their radar".
After being stabilised, Derrick was "blasted" with "very aggressive" chemotherapy, leaving him "very weak and feeble". Howie recalled a "memorable" story from the ward, where Derrick made a dog out of his pulled-out hair stuck onto a cardboard urine bottle, naming it Dougal after the dog in The Magic Roundabout. He earned the nickname 'Double D', and named Howie 'Big H'.
Doctors identified Derrick's younger brother Robert as an outstanding donor match, and the transplant became possible in September 1983. Derrick compared the procedure to a "NASA space launch", noting it was in its "infancy" and that he remained alone in an "isolation tent" for approximately 22 days. When the transplant was confirmed working, he described the moment as feeling "surreal".
Following his transplant, Derrick ran the Manchester Marathon in 1985 alongside his brother Robert to raise funds for the new unit. He laid the foundation stone in 1985, and the Adult Leukaemia Unit opened in 1986, with Derrick amongst those welcoming the Duchess of Kent for an official opening ceremony in March 1987. Derrick went on to marry Tracey, obtained a degree in engineering, and had two sons, now aged 21 and 15.
Derrick needed a heart transplant in January 2016 after developing treatment-related heart disease, and is currently waiting for a kidney transplant, with the same brother who donated his bone marrow now being assessed as a potential kidney donor. He began dialysis in April 2025. The reunion with Howie took place at The Christie's anniversary event last month, held to mark four decades of advancement in blood cancer treatment.
Reflecting on the past four decades, Derrick said: "It's a mix of emotions because, somehow, I came out the other end. My advice to others would be, never give up. It's a tricky road, there are challenges that are thrown in your face, but keep on plugging away and have hope."
