A 34-year-old mother from Wavertree, Hannah Newman-Smith, discovered she had a rare blood condition called aplastic anaemia after noticing unexplained bruises on her body. At first, she attributed the bruises to being a clumsy person, but when they became more severe and she started experiencing breathlessness, she sought medical attention. Hannah received an emergency blood test and a bone marrow biopsy at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, where she was subsequently diagnosed with aplastic anaemia. The condition affects the bone marrow’s ability to produce blood cells, which are vital for various bodily functions.
Due to the severity of her condition, Hannah needed a stem cell transplant. Although her sister was not a match, a donor from abroad was found. After several rounds of chemotherapy and her stem cell transplant at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Hannah is now in recovery and her blood count has increased. She hopes to raise awareness about the importance of becoming a stem cell and blood donor. Consultant haemato-oncologist, Dr Muhammad Saif, emphasized the rarity of aplastic anaemia and the complexities of the transplant process. Despite the risks involved, the priority was to achieve the best possible outcome for Hannah.
