'I was so tired I was falling asleep at work - then police arrived at my door'

Andrew Moyens, 52, knew something was wrong when he was too tired to take down the Christmas tree - but little did he know at that moment that his life was in danger

Dad Andrew Moyens couldn't work out why he was constantly exhausted. The fit, non-smoking dad, who leads a relatively healthy lifestyle and is an active golfer, was constantly tired despite having no clear reason why.

The 52-year-old said: "I was falling asleep between jobs and had a terrible chest infection that had me waking up from sleep unable to breathe. At times, I felt scared I might die, it was so difficult to catch my breath. It was becoming increasingly difficult to walk even 400 yards, without having to stop four or five times to get my breath back."

Despite seeing a GP and taking antibiotics which slightly improved his condition, he was overwhelmingly shattered. Working as a self-employed car inspector and delivery worker for the motor industry, Andrew pushed himself through the festive period in December 2022.

The Aston Villa fan added: "I am normally quite an active guy - I play golf regularly, don't smoke and consider myself reasonably fit. But I ended up having to take a week off work, during which time I slept for three days and barely got out of bed.", reports Gloucestershire Live.

"Over Christmas, I was still not right. I hardly joined in with all the celebrations and barely drank. My wife couldn't understand what was up with me. I was just so tired all the time."

Days after the new year celebrations he returned to the GP but saw a different doctor who immediately did blood tests. He said: "I didn't think too much of it and went home. I remember being too exhausted to take down the Christmas tree and lay on the sofa watching my wife putting all the decorations away. We joke about it now, but at the time, she wondered why I was lying around watching her do all the hard work! ".

That evening his 13-year-old daughter had a dance class which he was too tired to take her to. Instead, she went with his wife while he lay watching the darts final from the sofa with some cheese and crackers and a small glass of wine.

Andrew, from Sheldon, Birmingham, said: "At about 9:20pm, there was a knock at the door. I assumed it was my daughter arriving back from dance. But when I went to the door, there were two police officers standing there.

"They explained that the doctor had been trying to reach me all day, but because I had not seen any of the texts and had not responded, they had been sent to do a drive past to check that I was ok. They told me that my blood tests that morning had revealed there was a danger to my life - I should pack an overnight bag and they would accompany me to the hospital straight away."

Shocked Andrew headed with them to A&E where he was told his white blood cell count was "through the roof" and his red blood cells were really low. He said: "Effectively they were attacking each other."

He underwent an immediate blood transfusion, followed by a bone marrow biopsy the next morning. Andrew recalled: "A day later, on Thursday 5th January, the doctor came to see me and told me I had AML (acute myeloid leukaemia)."

He admitted: "I really knew nothing about leukaemia at the time. My only awareness, being an Aston Villa fan, was that Stiliyan Petrov had it. Of course, it was a very frightening diagnosis."

Andrew confessed that receiving the cancer diagnosis filled him with dread, and he was overwhelmed with thoughts of the worst-case scenario. The doctor offered to break the news to his wife, and Andrew found it heartbreaking to hear her crying over the phone.

Andrew was placed in isolation and began a three-month treatment plan in the hospital, which included three rounds of chemotherapy, starting just days later on the following Saturday. To minimize the risk to his health, he was only allowed to see his wife and was separated from his daughter for a month.

It was discovered that Andrew required a bone marrow transplant, and fortunately, both his brother and sister were 100% matches. His brother was chosen as the donor.

Andrew returned to the hospital to prepare for the surgery, again in isolation to reduce the risk of infection. In May 2023, he underwent the transplant, receiving 13 bags of stem cells.

Although the procedure went well, doctors cautioned him that there was still a long and challenging road to recovery ahead when he was discharged from the hospital after five weeks. Despite some scary moments, including his kidneys failing at one point, by the middle of summer he was celebrating remission and a cancer-free life.

Now, he has monthly check-ups with his doctor, and though he's had to shift to a desk job, he says it feels brilliant being back at work even if it's just for three days a week.

He expressed immense gratitude, saying: "I will be eternally grateful for all the medical care I received at every level, but I also couldn't have got through this without the love and devotion of my wife and daughter, and the support and encouragement from my brother-in-law.

"They were my only link to the outside world during my darkest days in hospital. Being surrounded by people that care really is vital to a positive mental attitude which definitely helped me in my fight against my diagnosis."

He added: "I have always been very positive and always knew that I was going to fight this and get through it for my family. I have been strong all along and mentally, I feel stronger now than ever.

"The whole experience has 100% changed me though. My outlook on life is very different these days. I am much calmer and will not allow myself to get stressed or angry. What's the point when you can't change what you can't change? ".

Andrew is now helping charities Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia UK to raise awareness of the condition after a survey involving 2,000 UK adults revealed that less than one-sixth (14%) could spot all four main symptoms of this lethal blood disease. These symptoms include:

• unusual bruising
• unusual bleeding
• fatigue
• and repeated infections

What is acute myeloid leukaemia?

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is a rapid and aggressive form of cancer that attacks the white blood cells.

It is a rare type of cancer, with about 2,600 new cases every year in the UK.

The NHS says acute leukaemia is classified according to the type of white blood cells affected - myeloid cells or lymphocytes.

Myeloid cells fight bacterial infections, defend the body against parasites and prevent the spread of tissue damage.

How does it develop?

AML occurs when stem cells in the bone marrow produce too many immature white blood cells, or blast cells, and usually requires immediate treatment.

Blast cells don't contain the same infection-fighting properties as healthy white blood cells, and too many can lead to a decrease in the number of red blood cells, which carry oxygen, and platelets, which help the blood to clot.

It remains unclear why this happens and, in most cases, there is no identifiable cause, the NHS says.

What are the symptoms?

Signs and symptoms of AML usually develop over a few weeks and become more severe as the disease progresses.

They can include pale skin, tiredness, breathlessness, frequent infections, and unusual and frequent bleeding (such as bleeding gums or nosebleeds).

People suffering from advanced cases can become extremely vulnerable to life-threatening infections or serious internal bleeding.

Anyone suffering from possible symptoms should see their GP immediately, the NHS says.

What are the risk factors?

If AML is suspected, blood tests will occur to check the blood cell production, and if the tests show a problem the next step is a referral to a haematologist for further tests or treatment.

Factors which can increase a person's risk include previous chemotherapy or radiation, exposure to high levels of radiation or the chemical benzene, and an underlying blood or genetic disorder.

The risk increases with age, as AML is most common in people over 65.

Chemotherapy is the main treatment, but in some cases radiotherapy is also needed in combination with a bone marrow or stem cell transplant.

In the UK, 27 people are diagnosed with leukaemia daily, equating to around 10,000 a year. Currently, over 50,000 individuals are living with the disease, but tragically, it claims 5,000 lives annually.

Contrary to popular misconceptions, leukaemia is not solely a childhood disease as it predominantly affects those over 65. Leukaemia UK and Leukaemia Care are encouraging both the public and healthcare professionals to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of leukaemia and to contact their GP for a blood test if they have any concerns.

Further information and support is available through Leukaemia Care. Visit their website, call their freephone helpline on 08088 010 444 or email support@leukaemiacare.org.uk