A&E physician given devastating prognosis turning her from physician to affected person in hours
A young 28-year-old medic was hit with the bombshell diagnosis which would lead to her life being tipped upside after a blood test for revealed something far more sinister than initially expected
A young 28-year-old medic was hit with the bombshell diagnosis whilst at A&E throwing her from doctor to patient in a matter of seconds.
After having a blood test for suspected glandular fever she was hit with a far more serious diagnosis. Alice Bolton, a 28-year-old British doctor, discovered out she had acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a serious type of blood cancer, in May 2024 while working in an Australian A&E.
Only days earlier, she’d been running an impressive 20km in preparation for a half marathon. But when she spotted swollen lymph nodes in her neck and unexplained bruising on her legs, she suspected glandular fever and opted for a blood test.
In the space of an hour, she switched roles from doctor to patient, finding herself in a hospital bed and was diagnosed with AML on May 16, 2024 – a type of leukaemia that Leukaemia UK states has only a 22% five-year survival rate.
Alice revealed what led to the fateful diagnosis and said: “I noticed that I had swollen lymph nodes in my neck and there was some bruising on my lower legs, and I’m not one to bruise easily, so I thought I should probably get a blood test.”
She added: “I was actually on shift, and they literally called me about an hour after I’d had the blood test, saying, ‘You need to go to A&E straightaway’.”
Alice recalled the diagnosis and revealed: “I said, ‘Oh, that’s weird, because I’m actually here anyway, I work in A&E’.”
The woman elaborated and said: “I was shocked, but the thing I was most concerned about was having to phone home and tell my sisters and my parents because I think that makes it more real.” Alice revealed.
Alice and her partner Hayden were all set to “tie the not” in June and feared they’d “have to cancel” their big day. But against all odds, they pulled off a last-minute wedding at Old Marylebone Town Hall. After a hard fought battle with cancer Alice was overjoyed to be cancer free in October 2024 and called it a “complete relief”.
However, in March 2025 cancer showed its ugly face again when Alice was hit with the news a stem cell transplant was necessary and was told “this will be the cure”.
Thankfully, Alice’s sister Emma, 31, Kate, 29, have both been pinpointed as ideal donors for a life-saving transplant. Alice is hopeful about what lies ahead, stating: “I’m very lucky that I have two sisters who are a match and this will be the cure.” as she hopes to leave her cancer fight in the rear-view mirror.
Alice is currently recovering from her latest chemotherapy session if the treatment proves successful, she will undergo a stem cell transplant in May. Emma and Kate are getting ready to participate in the TCS London Marathon to raise funds for Leukaemia UK.
Alice is planning to support her sisters from the side-lines with a sign which reads: “Run my stem cells, run!” While Alice won’t be joining her sisters in the marathon she has admitted watching her sisters run will be “super emotional”.
