A first-time homeowner who attributed a persistent chest rash to the stress of moving house has revealed it was actually a sign of blood cancer. Faith Hinitt, 27, from Retford, Nottinghamshire, initially dismissed the itchy red marks on her chest as a reaction to the pressure of buying her first home and starting a new job in June 2023.
Alongside the rash, Faith experienced extreme fatigue, night sweats, and hip pain, which she put down to the same stress factors and a change in contraception. However, the holiday park assistant manager only sought medical advice after her dentist insisted on a blood test when she failed to respond to treatment for a gum infection in October 2023.
Two days later, on October 7, Faith attended A&E and received a devastating diagnosis: acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive blood cancer. Since then, she has undergone chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in September 2024. She is now awaiting a second stem cell transplant in early June, which she hopes will lead to remission.
Ignoring the Warning Signs
Faith recalled: “In May 2023 I started feeling really, really tired and exhausted. At the time I’d just had a job promotion, and I was buying a house — two really big life changes happening at once. Buying a house on your own is obviously very stressful, so I blamed my tiredness on that.” She added: “I also had a couple of rashes come up during that summer, which I put down to stress. I was having night sweats, but I’d swapped contraception, so I thought it was hormones. You don’t think these are symptoms of blood cancer.”
It was a routine dental visit that prompted action. Faith explained: “The week leading up to my diagnosis, I had bleeding gums and a really bad gum infection. The emergency dentist gave me antibiotics, but they weren’t working. When I went back, they said my body wasn’t responding normally and I needed a blood test. I went to A&E two days later and was told I had leukaemia.” Faith credits the dentist with saving her life: “She pushed me to go to the doctor.”
Treatment Journey and Hope for Remission
Faith’s diagnosis came as a shock. “You just don’t expect to be told news like that when you’re a fit, young, healthy 25-year-old who has just bought their first house,” she said. After several rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in September 2024, Faith is now preparing for a second transplant. “I’m nervous because a stem cell transplant is really hard, but I’m excited. I’ve seen people online who are 10 years in remission after one. I’m feeling hopeful — that’s the mindset I need.”
Faith urges others to take any unusual symptoms seriously. “Even if you think a little thing is nothing, go and get it checked out. We all know our bodies but we ignore things. Listen to your body.”
Acute Myeloid Leukaemia: Key Facts
Leukaemia is cancer of the white blood cells. According to the NHS, acute leukaemia progresses quickly and aggressively, often requiring immediate treatment. Symptoms typically develop over a few weeks and worsen, including tiredness, breathlessness, frequent infections, and unusual bruising or bleeding. Chemotherapy is the main treatment, but some patients may also need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant.
