Scots student nurse says life changed in ‘blink of an eye’ after cancer diagnosis

A Scots student nurse who was diagnosed with leukaemia after GPs initially suspected diabetes says her life was transformed in “the blink of an eye”.

Ayley Crawford was 19 years old when she began having constant sinus infections, colds, muscle weakness, and even fainted during a university exam, in March 2024.

Ms Crawford, now 21, recalled doctors referring her to University Hospital Wishaw in her home town for tests after believing she may have been diabetic.

By this point, she began struggling to eat or drink and a painful abscess had appeared under her arm.

A few weeks later, the student nurse was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer of which 80% of people do not survive beyond five years.

She immediately began treatment and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy, but said she was frightened she would lose the battle.

She said: “My first thought was, ‘I’m going to die’.

“I knew something was wrong with me, but I never thought it would turn out to be cancer.

“My hair thinned and I felt sick all the time. It was hard to be away from home, but I was honestly in quite good spirits throughout my treatment, thanks to the staff in the Beatson (cancer centre).

“I kept thinking, I just need to get through this and then I’ll be able to get back to my life.”

By November 2024, Ms Crawford was in remission, had found part-time work, went on holiday and had planned to return to university to resume her studies.

In March 2025, she returned to hospital for a routine check-up and was informed her cancer had returned, and would need a stem cell transplant, for which an anonymous person from Australia donated.

She was then admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow for treatment in July the same year, where she could be visited only by a handful of people, including her partner Riley.

She said: “I was devastated, I felt like everything I went through with my treatment had been for nothing.

“I’d been saying to my family that I was feeling so well, it was a complete shock.

“Going through a transplant was honestly the worst thing I’ve ever endured.

“I had ulcers in my digestive tract which led to significant weight loss. I wasn’t allowed out of my room for five weeks, but my mum, Riley and my friend Melissa were able to visit. They were my only three visitors allowed.”

After the procedure, Ms Crawford had to isolate for three months, was on a cocktail of medications, and says her physical appearance deteriorated.

She said: “I was still so weak. Even walking from my bedroom to the bathroom next door felt too much.

“The medications I needed to take gave me horrible side effects like rashes and swelling on my eyes.

“It was very hard for me dealing with how I looked as a young woman at the time.

“Thankfully, I had my family and friends, who supported me greatly. I slowly started to recover and was able to celebrate Christmas 2025 which was so special.”

She is once again in remission and has plans to travel this summer, returning to university in September.

She said: “I’m so grateful for the treatment I received, but the anxiety around relapse will never leave.

“My experience with leukaemia has impacted my life massively. I was a 19-year-old finding my feet in the adult world and it was all taken away from me in the blink of an eye.

“I was supposed to be graduating this year, and I’ve missed countless experiences with friends. I feel so behind.

“But the one good thing to come of it all is that I think it will make me a better nurse. I was really glad I was studying nursing as it made the medical terms so much easier and I could explain everything clearly to friends and family.

“Every ward I was on the nurses wanted me to come and join them once I was qualified. So I may actually go into oncology. But my main aim right now is to get back to university and to catch up on all my missed time.”

Fiona Hazell, chief executive of research charity Leukaemia UK, said: “Many people aren’t aware of the signs and symptoms of leukaemia until they or someone they know is diagnosed.

“We are so grateful to Ayley for sharing her story and helping to raise awareness of what to look out for.

“Early diagnosis saves lives, so we want to make sure more people are aware of the signs and symptoms, and to contact their GP to ask for a full blood count test if they’re experiencing them.

“Together, we can stop leukaemia from devastating so many lives.”