I've been off work and the gym for one month, I'm bored and irritable, missing the gym, missing work so I start walking, then my consultant says that I can return to the gym and work, that's good news but I have to be careful. Read more
I firmly believe that if I can go from being severely ill in 2010 getting tired from simply walking up a flight of stairs, to the present day, where I have a good level of fitness and also looking to graduate from University in a couple months, then nothing is impossible. Read more
I’m Stephanie and at age 17, I was a stem cell donor for my brother James, to save his life. Read more
07.11.17 imprinted - because life changed forever that day Read more
Mental health issues around serious illness are complex. The medical doctors do their best to heal the physical self but wellness is about the whole self. For young people with few life experiences a serious illness is hard. Read more
Aplastic anaemia and bone marrow failure are very complex rare conditions, requiring the input of highly specialised caregivers who help to educate fellow staff, patients and their families. This sharing of knowledge is integral to my role and is one of the main reasons it has always appealed to me. Read more
I had my bone marrow transplant in March 2018, and I returned to work at the start of October. Many people felt that was far too soon, but it certainly felt right for me. Being in work whilst still regularly travelling to hospital for tests and still taking immuno-suppressants would not have been a good idea. Read more
I remember while I was receiving treatment how desperate I had felt to be normal like my friends at school, to be able to play out, take part in the school sports day and spend time with my sister. But, years later when I finally started recovering, I remember feeling an overwhelming sense of panic Read more
After my treatment for aplastic anaemia, my husband and I discussed the possibility of trying for another baby. The research out there was limited and the data - not all that reliable. Could I go through with a pregnancy and risk the very real possibility of relapse? In 2015 we bit the bullet, tried and fell pregnant! I was over the moon, but I was terrified. Read more