A “healthy” mum of two, Liz Taylor, died just hours after she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of blood cancer leaving her family shocked.
Liz had been suffering from fatigue and migraines but little did she know that these symptoms could be linked to acute promyelocytic leukaemia.
She died last July at the young age of 51. Now, her grieving family want Liz’s story to help others.
Liz blamed blood cancer symptoms on her busy lifestyle
Liz’s widower Jonathan has now warned people “not to dismiss any sign or symptom they may have or put it down to daily aches and pains we all often suffer, irrespective of age”.
Liz first noticed something was wrong in late 2021. However, she blamed her symptoms of being tired all the time on her busy lifestyle. In addition to raising her children, Liz was a full-time teaching assistant. As time went on, she started to have other symptoms. Some of them included severe pain in the chest and pain in her leg, migraines, and blurred vision which led to heavy bleeding.
Liz was offered a blood test after visiting the opticians and doctor. The results showed her blood count was very low and at risk of infection. After the migraines and blurred vision continue to occur, she went to A&E. It was then that Liz was diagnosed with blood disorder neutropenia, but no cause was found.
Her symptoms got worse and her MRI scan later revealed she had marks on her brain and that she was having continued mini-strokes. “Liz underwent numerous cardio checks and assessments, during which time she suffered a larger, more serious stroke,” Jonathan said. “Having been initially cancelled due to her hospital admission 10 days earlier, eventually a bone marrow test was scheduled.”
When Liz received her results, she was diagnosed with APML. The following day she died from a brain hemorrhage from the effect of the previous strokes.
Her husband has raised almost £20,000 for charity
The whole family, including Liz’s two daughters, aged 26 and 23, are still in shock and coming to terms with her death. Following Liz’s death, Jonathan, researched into her condition to learn more about it. He came across Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia UK’s #SpotLeukaemia campaign and wanted to help others.
So far, he has raised almost £20,000 for charity.
“Guilt isn’t the right word. But there is widespread remorse and regret that with all of Liz’s symptoms the family and medical teams hadn’t been knowledgeable enough to understand and link together the true symptoms of APML,” he said.
“Our focus now is on leaving a positive legacy in Liz’s name, through charity events and raising awareness on the early signs of leukaemia, in particular APML.”
What are the symptoms of APML?
According to Leukaemia UK, the most common indicators of APML include fatigue, repeated infections and blood clots which could lead to pains around the body, headaches or problems with vision. People with APML also bruise and bleed easily and can have unexplained weight loss.
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