From diagnosis to transplant: Nathaniel's story

Nathaniel was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia in February 2026, after developing symptoms such as a pinprick rash and bleeding gums. Find out more about his journey from diagnosis, to having a stem cell transplant.

So, for the last four months I have been in and out of hospital, and I'm sharing my story to build awareness of aplastic anaemia, which is what I was diagnosed with.

Diagnosis

Back in February 2026, I started to have blood blisters in my mouth and didn't think too much of them. I went to my GP, and they weren't too concerned. However, a couple of days later I developed pinpoint red spots all over my body, along with bleeding gums. I asked ChatGPT about my symptoms, and it suggested I have an emergency blood test because it looked like I had very low platelets, which turned out to be true. I had to push for the blood test to be done.

Later that day, while I was actually milking the cows as I felt fine otherwise, I had a phone call from a doctor telling me that an ambulance was coming to take me to A&E because my platelet count was just 2. At the time, they diagnosed me with something called ITP, as my other blood counts were normal, and they discharged me with steroids to help.

Unfortunately, the steroids didn't work, and my symptoms got worse. Three days later I had blood in my urine and went straight back to A&E. This time they admitted me to hospital and carried out a bone marrow biopsy. My red blood cells and white blood cells then started to fall too, meaning I was at high risk of infection, breathlessness and a fast heart rate. I started receiving blood and platelet transfusions, and after that I felt much better as my symptoms began to settle down.

The bone marrow biopsy results took about a month to come back, which was incredibly scary. Every time the haematology doctors came to see me, I feared the worst. They then suspected it was a condition called aplastic anaemia, which it turned out to be. At first I was relieved to hear it wasn't cancer, but after doing my research I realised it was just as serious.

I then had an appointment at King's College Hospital in London, where they confirmed the diagnosis of very severe aplastic anaemia. This meant I was at very high risk of infection and would continue to need regular blood and platelet transfusions. The recommended treatment was a bone marrow transplant, which was a very scary thing to hear.

Preparing for transplant

My brother and sister were both tested, but unfortunately neither of them was a suitable match, which wasn't the news we were hoping for. Thankfully, there is the stem cell register, where they can search for unrelated donors. Waiting to hear whether they would find a match was incredibly stressful because I always expected the worst.

In the meantime, Stoke Mandeville Hospital started preparing me for the transplant to make sure my body was strong enough. I had numerous tests on my heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and teeth, and thankfully I passed them all with flying colours.

Stoke Mandeville then fitted me with a PICC line to make blood tests and transfusions easier. Unfortunately, I developed sepsis after it was inserted. It made me feel incredibly unwell – the worst I've ever felt in my life – but thankfully I pulled through.

I had also picked up a lung infection, which was found on a CT scan. They carried out a bronchoscopy (a camera down into the lungs), but it didn't show anything definite. However, the team decided to treat me with antifungal medication because they suspected it was a fungal infection. Unfortunately, I had a severe allergic reaction to the medication, so they switched me to a different antifungal instead.

Not long afterwards, I was told that several potential donor matches had been found, which was amazing news. However, it was still a long process to determine who the best match was, as they all had to go through various tests. During this period, Stoke Mandeville allowed me to go on day leave so that I wouldn't lose my bed if I developed an infection and needed to come back through A&E. Being able to leave the hospital for a while did wonders for my mental wellbeing.

Eventually, I received confirmation that a donor from the USA was suitable and willing to donate their stem cells. I had another pre-transplant appointment at King's College Hospital to confirm everything before being transferred there a couple of weeks later to begin treatment.

The team also wanted to investigate my lung infection further, so they carried out another bronchoscopy. This time they found a bacterial infection, which they treated with a strong antibiotic. Thankfully, it cleared up, although I remained on antifungal medication because there were still signs of infection on my CT scan.

To prepare my body for the transplant, I then had chemotherapy to destroy my existing immune system so it wouldn't attack the donor cells. The first dose made me feel extremely unwell, with my heart rate rising to 160 beats per minute and my temperature reaching 40.7°C. Thankfully, this reaction was expected, and the second dose went absolutely fine. I received chemotherapy over five days, followed by two rest days.

Then came transplant day.

The transplant itself was just like having a blood or platelet transfusion, but emotionally it was a very special moment considering everything I had been through to reach that point.

I expected it to work straight away, but that's not how it works. Every day without my blood counts rising was terrifying. About a week later, the doctors started giving me an injection called G-CSF, which stimulates the bone marrow to produce new blood cells. The side effects were extremely painful – my legs were in agony – and I needed morphine and paracetamol to control the pain. The transplant team reassured me that this was actually a good sign because it meant the injections were working.

Soon afterwards, my white blood cells began to rise from zero back to normal levels, which made me incredibly happy. Then my platelets started to recover as well. My red blood cells will take longer, but the doctors were pleased with my progress and discharged me just under two weeks after the transplant. I now attend regular outpatient appointments to make sure everything continues to go well.

Recovery

Now I'm home, and as I write this it's just over two weeks since my transplant.

I want to say a huge thank you to the incredible teams at Stoke Mandeville Hospital and King's College Hospital for everything they have done for me. I also want to thank everyone who donated blood and platelets, which helped keep me alive, and most importantly my stem cell donor, who has quite literally given me a second chance at life.

Thank you as well to my amazing family, friends, my girlfriend, and my little beagle, Otis, for supporting me through the toughest time of my life. It hasn't just been difficult for me – it's been incredibly hard for everyone around me too.

Although I still have a long road ahead, I truly believe the hardest part is now behind me.

For anyone who doesn't know, aplastic anaemia is a condition where the bone marrow stops producing blood cells – red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. This means you're at high risk of bleeding because platelets help your blood clot, infections because of low white blood cells, and tiredness and breathlessness because of low red blood cells.

It can affect anyone, but it is more common in young people between the ages of 0 and 30 and in people over the age of 60. It is an ultra-rare disease, affecting only around 150 people each year in the UK.

Finding out I had such a rare disease was incredibly frightening, and I often asked myself, "Why me?" But that's not how life works.

I am so incredibly grateful that my transplant was successful and that I've been given that second chance.

This experience has made me realise that I have been given a second chance at life, and I don't want to waste it. Life is precious, and I hope this reminds people not to let it simply pass them by.

We are here for you

If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with aplastic anaemia, or are awaiting or recovering from a stem cell transplant. please register here. We can send you more information about treatment, including transplant, and the support available to you and your family.

AA voices

AA voices is a collection of blogs in which people affected by aplastic anaemia share the stories they feel are important, in their own words. If you would like to tell your story here, please get in touch with Ellie, our Head of Comms, by emailing [email protected].