Two siblings from Ayr were diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers five years apart, and now share an “unbreakable bond” after experiencing the “trauma” of cancer from both sides.
Cancer Diagnoses Five Years Apart
Catherine Dunnachie, 39, an associate director living in Ayr, south-west Scotland, was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin lymphoma in March 2020 after developing a persistent cough. She underwent multiple rounds of treatment during the Covid pandemic and went into remission in June 2021, but continues to experience long-term side effects including nerve damage, fatigue and infertility.
Five years later, her younger brother Kane Dinmore, 28, began suffering from night sweats and fatigue before being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in May 2026. Kane underwent three rounds of chemotherapy, entering remission in August, and is hoping to have a stem cell transplant to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.
The half-siblings, who have different fathers, said doctors told them it is “incredibly rare” for both to develop blood cancers and there does not seem to be a link between the two.
Shared Experience and Support
Kane, a marketing executive, told PA Real Life: “I just feel like we’re even closer, like an unbreakable bond. Catherine has been there for me the whole time, basically living with me, and I couldn’t do it without her. It’s like we understand the trauma.”
After moving to Newcastle for a job in 2019, Catherine developed a persistent cough towards the end of the year. She said she visited her GP several times but was repeatedly told she had a chest infection and was prescribed antibiotics. By January 2020, her condition had not improved and she had begun experiencing night sweats and itchy legs. After undergoing an X-ray, she was told days later that she might have cancer after a “large mass” was detected in her chest.
After several tests, she was diagnosed with stage four Hodgkin lymphoma in March 2020. Hodgkin lymphoma is an uncommon cancer that affects the white blood cells that help fight infection, according to the NHS. Catherine said her cancer was classified as stage four because it had spread to her lungs, liver, spleen and abdomen, as well as forming a “massive mass” in her chest.
Treatment and Recovery
On the day she received her diagnosis, the country “went into lockdown” due to the Covid pandemic, and she said she felt “all alone”. A week later, she began chemotherapy, having to sit “in between screens” with a “big gap” between her and the other patients.
“I think I went into shock after the diagnosis, it felt like fight or flight,” Catherine said. “When they say the words cancer, I don’t think you take it in, and I went into survival mode. I focused on work as much as I could, to distract myself… but I lost all my hair.” Kane added: “It was a horrible time, I just felt a little helpless knowing she was by herself, and I couldn’t offer physical support.”
Midway through her treatment, scans revealed the mass in her chest was still present, and by the end of her chemotherapy course it had only shrunk slightly. She had another round of chemotherapy, followed by two rounds of immunotherapy trial drugs. “I felt like they were running out of options for me – every time I had a follow-up appointment it was bad news,” she explained.
In June 2021, she was told she was in remission, which she described as a “miracle”. She subsequently underwent a round of conditioning chemotherapy before receiving a stem cell transplant in September 2021, using cells from a donor in Germany after neither Kane nor her older brother was a match. Catherine said she remains in remission and has check-ups every six months, but continues to experience long-term effects of her treatment, including fatigue and nerve damage in her feet.
Brother's Battle and Looking Ahead
Kane spent 2025 focusing on his fitness, running regularly and going to the gym, and felt “great” about his health. But in spring 2026, after going on back-to-back holidays to Benidorm and Gran Canaria, he began feeling unwell and initially assumed he had “overdone it”. After around 10 days of symptoms, in May he noticed raised lumps on his legs, which subsequently became bruised. Catherine urged him to see his GP, and he was taken to hospital for tests “straight away”.
Kane was then diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) – a rare type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, according to the NHS. He spent almost eight weeks in hospital as doctors worked to get his body into a condition where he could begin treatment. He has since undergone three rounds of chemotherapy, with the second putting him into remission in August.
He is hoping to undergo a stem cell transplant which doctors believe will give him the best chance of preventing the leukaemia from returning. Throughout his treatment, Kane said Catherine had been by his side, moving back to Glasgow to stay with him and support him. He has also received support from Leukaemia Care, a UK-based blood cancer charity, through counselling sessions.
Looking ahead, the siblings said their experiences had made them “appreciate” one another even more. Catherine has also raised £15,000 for various charities, including Cancer Research UK and Bright Red.
