A young doctor was told that he had leukemia, while the same hospital shifted to A&E exactly an hour after the blood test for the fever of suspected glands.
The 28 -year -old Ellis Bolton, who divides her time between Surrey and London, was detected in May 2024 in Australia working abroad in A&E, an aggressive blood cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
A few days ago, she was running up to 20 km in preparation for a half marathon, but after notice of inflammation lymph nodes in her neck and after injury to her feet, she suspected the glands fever and decided to conduct a blood test.
An hour later, she left for working to be a patient in a bed in the area of hospital doctors.
Alice did chemotherapy and reached the remission by October 2024, but she was soon released in March 2025 and was told that she would need a stem cell transplant as it would be “this treatment”.
She and her partner Hayden planned to get married in June and thought they would have to “cancel” the marriage, but instead they managed to organize a ceremony at the Old Marylebone Town Hall within a few days, which was “so special”.
Along with her two sisters, Emma, 31, who works in a biotech company, and being the right match for 29 -year -old Kate, a Solicitor, transplant, Alice is soon hoping to draw a line “under a trip to cancer”.
“I am very lucky that I have two sisters who are a match, and this will be treated,” Alice told PA Real Life.
“But it makes you realize that even though you are a healthcare professional, these things can happen.”
After completing his medical foundation training in the UK, Alice traveled to Melbourne, Australia in October 2023, now, to work as an emergency care doctor with his husband, Haydon, who is also a doctor.
During this time, Alice was training for the Great Ocean Road Half Marathon, which was running up to 20 km, but a few days before the race in May 2024, she was “struggling to run about 5 km”.
“I noticed that I had swollen lymph nodes in my neck and I was not going to hurt my lower legs easily, so I thought I should probably do blood tests,” Alice explained.
Ellis suspected that her symptoms were due to a viral infection of the glands, but it was not so.
Alice said, “I was really on shift, and he really told me about the blood test only an hour,” You need to go to A&E Straitway. “
“I said,” Oh, it’s strange, because I am really here anyway, I work in A&E. “
Still assuming that she had glandular fever, Alice thought that the advisor would advise her to go home to avoid “spreading the virus around the department”.
Instead, he was told that he had leukemia and needs to start treatment immediately.
“I was surprised, but what I was most concerned about was to call the house and tell my sisters and my parents because I think it makes it more real,” she said.
Emma received the news while on a campaign and said: “You never expect this from anyone so young and healthy, especially because she was talking about all her running.”
Kate said: “To be far away from him was stressful and shocking, but we all rallied together as a family.”
On 16 May 2024, Alice was officially diagnosed with AML, according to the Leukemia UK, the five -year survival rate is 22%.
Alice’s parents and her sisters flew and stayed with Australia, while she passed through intensive chemotherapy, causing hair loss, excessive fatigue and side effects of nausea.
Alice’s “incredible” witness to strength, Emma said: “This is one of the most difficult things you can pass through, and she was watching light in every situation, which, as brothers and sisters, makes you feel very proud.”
After completing its first round of chemotherapy, Alice was strong enough to return to the UK in June 2024 and was surprised by friends and family with “Love actually the airport moment”.
She continued chemotherapy in London and until October 2024, she completely left, which she described as “complete relief”.
Ellis then planned to run the upcoming TCS London Marathon with her sisters, but a regular bone marrow test in March 2025 revealed that she was relaxed, which Kate had described as “cruel”.
He was then told that he would need a stem cell transplant as part of his treatment and, incredibly, both Emma and Kate came out as the correct match.
According to Charity Anthony Nolan, there is only 6% likely that the two brothers -sales are a complete match, making it a rare event.
Kate said, “We have this deep sister Bond and when he said, ‘All three of you are a match’, it was really magical,” Kate said.
After relaxing, Alice felt that she and Hayden would have to cancel or postpone their upcoming marriage in June this year.
So he decided to “withdraw some control” at the Old Marilebone Town Hall in London on 15 March, with attending more than 70 loved ones, and Alice described the wedding as “amazing”.
Hayden said: “On the day, and even a day ago, the fact that Alice did not come into my head once, I was just super excited to marry my life with the love of my life.”
Alice is currently recovering from its latest round of chemotherapy and, if the treatment is successful, the stem cell transplant will be in May, detected as a donor chosen with cake with Kate.
Emma and Kate are now preparing to run the TCS London marathon to raise funds for Leukemia UK, Alice hoped that the sideline shouted from the sideline and holds a hint that reads: “Run my stem cell, run!”
Although he is no longer able to run the marathon with his sisters, he said that he would be “super emotional” by crossing the finish line on 27 April.
Alice wants to give hopes to others and said that she and her sisters often recite Harry Potter’s dumbbilder quotes: “Khushi can be found even in the dark, if anyone remembers only to turn light on the light.
“To be around all your friends and family and to know that, especially with medical research, things are constantly changing, (cancer) is not a death sentence.
“I think you have to be positive and things will work.”
To learn or donate more, go to Alice’s wealth raising page: justgiving.com/the-bolton-girls
