A 54-year-old woman who attributed exhaustion and night sweats to the menopause was diagnosed with an aggressive form of blood cancer after being rushed to hospital with severe chest pain. Sharron Clarke, from Cumbria, had been leading a perfectly healthy and active lifestyle, climbing mountains and working at a bed factory, when what she thought were menopausal symptoms turned out to be acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
From Mountain Hike to Hospital Emergency
On July 26, 2025, Clarke set off to climb Catbells mountain in Cumbria with friends. She had felt tired and sweaty in the weeks prior but dismissed it as age-related menopause. Hours after the hike, she experienced extreme chest pain and was blue-lighted to hospital with suspected heart failure. Tests revealed the pain was actually bone pain caused by leukaemia. Within days, she was transferred to Newcastle's Freeman Hospital for intensive chemotherapy, including the drug doxorubicin, known as the 'red devil'.
Diagnosis and Treatment
By the end of that day, Clarke was diagnosed with AML, an aggressive blood cancer she had never associated with her age or symptoms. She said: 'I'd never been ill in my life apart from the odd cold. So when I started feeling tired and a bit sweaty, I just thought it was my age. I didn't go to the doctor. I just assumed it was menopause. I didn't think leukaemia would ever be something I'd get. I thought it was a childhood illness or something that happened to older people.'
Chemotherapy left her extremely unwell, causing bleeding behind her eyes due to low platelet levels, which resulted in lasting vision damage. Despite this, she achieved remission by September 2025 and continues maintenance treatments until 2027.
Recovery and Awareness Campaign
Clarke has returned to her job at a local bed factory on reduced hours and is rebuilding her fitness, including completing a 5km run with breaks. She said: 'At the moment things are good. I'm in deep remission. I just hope it stays that way.' She credits the phrase 'be a warrior, not a worrier', spoken by a nurse, as motivating her through treatment.
Colin Dyer, chief executive of Leukaemia Care, said: 'Sharron's story perfectly illustrates why our Spot Leukaemia campaign matters. She was a fit, active woman who thought her symptoms were simply part of the menopause. Within hours of climbing a mountain, she was being told she had an aggressive form of blood cancer. Leukaemia doesn't discriminate, and its symptoms are often easy to dismiss. That's why raising awareness is so vital. The sooner people recognise the signs and seek help, the sooner they can receive potentially life-saving treatment.'
Key Symptoms to Watch For
Leukaemia symptoms can include fatigue, night sweats, unexplained bruising or bleeding, frequent infections, and bone pain. Clarke urges others not to dismiss persistent symptoms: 'It could have gone very differently. I know how lucky I am.'
