Claire's story

I was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in May 2024. Just three hours after arriving at A&E, I was told I had leukaemia and within 12 hours I had been admitted to Yarty Ward. My life changed completely in a single day.

It was a frightening and overwhelming time, made even harder by the fact that I had three young boys aged 5, 7 and 9 and very little time to prepare them for what was about to happen.

From the moment I arrived on Yarty Ward, I received exceptional care. Being from Barnstaple meant I was often a long way from my family and spent many hours on my own. Despite how busy they were, the nurses always seemed to know when I was struggling. They would take the time to stop, chat, check in and make sure I was okay. I never felt like a hospital number. I felt seen as a person. I will never be able to thank the staff enough for the kindness, compassion and dignity they showed me during one of the most difficult periods of my life.

I spent a total of 17 weeks in hospital during my treatment, so the environment around me became incredibly important. I was fortunate enough to stay in the ELF-funded Chevithorne Family Suite. It made an enormous difference. Having access to the garden brought a sense of normality and peace during a very frightening time. I would often sit outside looking at the collection of gnomes and I remember thinking that one day, when I was better, I would bring my own to add to the collection and hopefully give a little hope to someone else who needed it.

The Suite's kitchen was another lifeline. As I started to regain some strength, being able to prepare my own food gave me a sense of independence and had a huge positive impact on my mental wellbeing.

The family room was equally special. It meant my parents and husband could stay overnight, and even my boys were able to stay. The nurses completely spoiled them with hot chocolate and ice cream and showed them how to use the blood pressure machine. Those moments helped make an incredibly difficult situation feel just a little bit more normal.

One memory that has always stayed with me was after a trip to Plymouth to discuss my stem cell transplant. It was a daunting appointment and there was a lot to take in. When we returned, my husband stayed to watch a film with me. One of the nurses brought us ice cream and turned it into a "date night". It sounds like such a small thing, but those thoughtful touches meant the world.

At times I felt lonely and isolated, so I asked whether I could write letters to the other patients on the ward. I handwrote notes telling them I was thinking of them and that they weren't alone. It helped me feel connected and allowed me to hold on to who I was beyond being a patient. It was a lovely way of still being my authentic self in a situation that felt anything but normal.

Yarty Ward also felt familiar. My mum had visited the ward the year before when she was undergoing a stem cell harvest for myeloma. Neither of us ever imagined I would find myself there a year later facing AML and a stem cell transplant of my own.

The support provided through ELF was invaluable. Ros, a Complimentary Therapist funded by ELF, visited me regularly and provided reflexology sessions which were incredible. She brought kindness, calm and comfort during a time when I desperately needed it and helped to keep my spirits up. I also received counselling through ELF whilst I was on the ward and this has continued into my recovery which has been vital in helping me to process everything that has happened.

I am so grateful to ELF. From the welcoming faces at their Filling Time refreshment kiosk to the facilities, therapies and emotional support they provide; every part of the organisation helps to make an unimaginably difficult situation that little bit easier.

Today, I am doing well. I have recently marked the second anniversary of my diagnosis, and I am now 18 months post stem cell transplant. I feel incredibly grateful to be here and enormously thankful to my anonymous donor, who gave me a second chance at life. I feel incredibly fortunate to be where I am today and I will always be grateful for the care, kindness and support I received from Yarty Ward and ELF. The impact the charity has on patients and families is huge.