'I went to the surgery for tests - hours later police were knocking at my door'

Andrew Moyens, 52, was was stunned when the police arrived at his door to take him to hospital

When Andrew Moyens found himself feeling completely shattered without an apparent cause, he was baffled. Despite being fit, a non-smoker, and leading a relatively healthy lifestyle, the dad-of-two couldn't figure out why he felt so exhausted.

It all started in early December 2022 when he began to feel tired constantly. Andrew 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."

After a series of infections left him wiped out, he visited his GP who prescribed medication, including antibiotics, which provided some relief. But it didn't fully alleviate his fatigue. Working as a self-employed car deliverer and inspector, Andrew couldn't afford to take time off.

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"I am normally quite an active guy - I play golf regularly, don't smoke and consider myself reasonably fit," he said. "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."

"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.", reports Gloucestershire Live.

Shortly after the festivities of the new year, he revisited his GP and encountered a different doctor who immediately ordered 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 but Andrew was too tired to drive her, so his wife took her instead. He remained at home, watching the darts final and nibbling on cheese and crackers with a modest glass of wine.

"At about 9.20pm, there was a knock at the door," he said. "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 okay. 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."

Upon arriving at the A&E with the officers, Andrew learned his blood results were alarming: his white blood cell count was "through the roof" and red cells were startlingly low. He recounted: "Effectively they were attacking each other."

He was given an immediate blood transfusion and a bone marrow biopsy. He said: "A day later, on Thursday, January 5, the doctor came to see me and told me I had AML (acute myeloid leukaemia). 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."

"Being told you have cancer makes you fear the worst and all sorts of thoughts go through your head. The doctor offered to call my wife and explain everything to her, and it was hard to hear her crying over the phone."

Andrew began a three-month treatment regime, including three rounds of chemotherapy, starting on the Saturday following his diagnosis. During this period, he could only meet his wife, resulting in a month without seeing his daughter.

The need for a bone marrow transplant became apparent, and luckily, both his brother and sister were perfect matches. His brother was chosen as the donor. Returning to the hospital for transplant preparations, he remained isolated to prevent infections. In May 2023, he underwent the transplant, receiving 13 bags of stem cells.

Despite a successful procedure and leaving the hospital after a five-week stay, doctors cautioned him of the lengthy recovery that lay ahead. He suffered some setbacks, including a period where his kidneys failed, but Andrew achieved remission and was cancer-free by mid-summer. He now attends monthly doctor's appointments and has returned to work, albeit in a desk-based role, three days a week.

Andrew expressed his gratitude for the medical care he received, stating: "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."

He credited their support for helping him maintain a positive mental attitude during his time in hospital, saying: "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."

Andrew 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."

His experience has profoundly impacted his outlook on life, making him calmer and more resilient to stress and anger. Andrew is now advocating for Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia UK to raise awareness about leukaemia, following a survey that revealed only 14% of UK adults can identify the four primary symptoms of the disease. In the UK, 27 individuals are diagnosed with leukaemia daily, equating to around 10,000 each year. Currently, over 50,000 people are living with the disease, but tragically, it claims 5,000 lives each year.

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