Emilia Shaw with her children, Henry and Felix (Image: Emilia Shaw/SWNS)
A nurse who was constantly “tired all the time” and attributed it to her demanding work schedule, was shocked to discover that her fatigue was actually a symptom of a rare form of cancer, necessitating a stem cell transplant. Emilia Shaw, a 41-year-old mother of two, found herself perpetually worn out throughout the summer, but assumed it was due to her early morning shifts.
In addition to her exhaustion, she developed a persistent cough and continued to feel drained and unwell. By October 2025, Emilia’s symptoms had escalated, with severe headaches, bleeding gums, and heavy menstrual cycles prompting her to seek a blood test at her local GP in December.
Following the advice of her doctors, Emilia visited Alexandra Hospital, Redditch, where a blood transfusion revealed an alarmingly high white blood cell count and critically low levels of red blood cells and platelets. On December 9, 2025, Emilia received the devastating diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia – a rapidly progressing cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow.
Emilia has recently completed her first round of chemotherapy at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and, following a brief respite at home, will commence her second round. Subsequently, she has been informed that she will require a stem cell transplant, a procedure that replaces damaged blood-forming stem cells with healthy ones.
Emilia, from Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, explained: “It’s been tough for my husband, Ben, 37, and our boys. Ben’s mum passed away three years ago after a very short battle with cancer and then in January 2025, my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time and had mastectomy and reconstruction surgery.
Emilia Shaw, 41, noticed she was constantly exhausted over the summer (Image: Emilia Shaw/SWNS)
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“Also, Ben’s dad has a chronic leukaemia and has had prostate cancer, so it feels like our whole family has been affected. Knowing that the cancer I have is treatable with a stem cell transplant has meant a lot to us and I’m hopeful that I’ll have a matching donor soon so I can get back to normal life.”
Throughout the summer months, Emilia began noticing persistent fatigue. She initially attributed this to early mornings for work and caring for her two young sons – Henry, six, and Felix, four.
However, her condition deteriorated and she also developed severe headaches, prompting her to arrange a blood test at her GP surgery in December.
“I was just so tired all the time,” Emilia recalled. “I would feel tired at the wheel and I’d even fallen asleep watching panto with my boys. So I went in and got my bloods checked on a Monday morning.”
Emilia noticed her symptoms had worsened and she was starting to get pounding headaches, bleeding gums and heavy periods (Image: Emilia Shaw/SWNS)
Following her doctor’s advice, Emilia went directly to Alexandra Hospital, where she received a blood transfusion. The next day, on December 9, 2025, Emilia was informed she had acute myeloid leukaemia and would require a stem cell transplant.
Emilia’s husband, Ben Shaw, who is employed in the automotive sector, recalled: “The first time I knew that Emilia had bad news was when she sent me a message to say I could visit her outside opening hours. I just crumbled when she told me what leukaemia she had.
“I was in the process of informing my family and I just couldn’t speak over the phone. I was in fear of Emilia dying as my mum died of cancer just 17 days after her diagnosis.”
Emilia is presently receiving chemotherapy treatment, with medical professionals advising that she will require a stem cell transplant. She is hopeful that one of her siblings will prove to be a suitable match, though this remains unconfirmed.
“I worked in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, for years as a staff nurse and I’ve since been told that, if a matching donor is found for me, that’s where I’ll be going for my transplant,” Emilia explained. “It’s strange to go from nurse to patient, but I know they’ll look after me.”
Emilia and her relatives are now collaborating with blood cancer charity DKMS to urge more individuals to register as potential stem cell donors. Registration is straightforward, requiring only a handful of health-related questions and some cheek swabs.
Following registration, your samples will be analysed to determine whether you match a patient in need. At present, approximately 2,000 people across the UK are awaiting their match, yet merely 7 per cent of the eligible population have registered.
Registration is available through Emilia’s campaign online.
