A father from Runcorn diagnosed with terminal blood cancer is making a heartfelt plea to the NHS for a second chance at life. Sean Turner, 40, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in 2024 after experiencing chronic fatigue and swollen gums. Despite a stem cell transplant in November 2024 that initially appeared successful, he relapsed in June 2025 and again in February 2026. Now, with the cancer spreading and no further NHS treatment options available in the UK, his family is racing to raise £150,000 for a second transplant in Germany.
A Father's Fight for Time
Sean, who lives with his wife Rebbecca and their two-year-old son Jimmy, says his main goal is to watch his son grow up. "I feel like I'm being denied that from my own country," he told the ECHO. "If there's even a 30% chance it could work, people have got to be given that."
Missed Opportunities
Sean believes the NHS missed chances to offer him a second transplant. After a clinical drug trial failed in early 2026, a consultant told him no further drugs would work. He then sought a second opinion from a German hospital, which immediately offered a donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI)—a procedure the UK had not suggested. "Once I put that to the doctors in Clatterbridge, that's when I got offered it," he said. "It was like they were always on the back foot." He received only one DLI dose before relapsing again.
Outdated NHS Data?
Sean argues that NHS guidelines rely on 12-year-old data, mostly from older patients, and do not reflect the potential success of second transplants in younger, fitter patients like himself. "The German health system funds second transplants because there's evidence it can work," he said. "All you need is that one chance."
NHS Position
NHS England declined to comment on Sean's case. However, in a previous statement to the BBC, an NHS spokesperson said decisions on repeat stem cell transplants "should be made between patient and clinician and in line with the latest clinical policy, which is kept under review." The Christie and Clatterbridge hospitals referred the matter to NHS England, stating it is a matter of national policy.
Fundraising for Hope
Sean's family has launched a fundraiser to cover the cost of the transplant in Germany. He remains determined: "I'm a young lad. I'm fit and strong. I can take another transplant."
