'Died a day after diagnosis': husband's appeal for more leukaemia resources after losing wife

A man from Leicestershire whose wife died the day after she was diagnosed with leukaemia, is calling for better resources to treat the condition.

Liz Taylor from Desford died in July 2022 after months of symptoms including migraines, fatigue and heavy bleeding. The couple had been married for 28 years.

Her husband Jonathan listed her symptoms as: "Headaches. Blurred vision. Migranes and also general tiredness, general fatigue. Just didn't feel 100%".

Liz was eventually sent to hospital where blood clots were found on her brain. She was eventually diagnosed with Acute Myloid Leukaemia or AML - but died the next day.

He says a lack of knowledge around the signs means it's often going undiagnosed.

Jonathan says: "There is anger. There is frustration. There is disappointment that Liz wasn't diagnosed sooner, especially when she was showing all the obvious signs for leukaemia".

Lewis Miller, the Policy Officer from Leukaemia UK, says:

"Currently AML has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers. So it has a survival rate of 13.8% for five years which is obviously shocking. So therefore by improving early diagnosis, studies show it will improve outcomes and prognosis of patients".With a General Election expected later this year, Leukaemia UK is calling on the next government to commit to a Cancer strategy, which would include:

• more money for research

• better early diagnosis of leukaemia

• more holistic treatment for patients

• improved leukaemia health data

Jonathan says "Whilst there has been a lot of emphasis on knowledge, on education the general types of cancer, I think a lot more needs to be done in educating the public, and also the professional and medical world on identifying the signs of leukaemia early".Jonathan has now been involved in fundraising events to help raise awareness.

We have approached the government for a comment on their current strategy - we're yet to hear back.