A woman who was diagnosed with leukaemia after waking up with blood on her pillow is now aiming to raise awareness of the cancer. Dora Winslet, from Berkshire, received her diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia in 2021 after noticing a spot of blood where her ear had been while she slept.
Following years of treatment, the 61-year-old is now seeking to highlight the disease and its symptoms. This initiative coincides with blood cancer awareness month, with research charity Leukaemia UK reporting that 33,000 people in the UK have blood cancer.
Ms Winslet described her early symptoms, including feeling out of breath more often and noticing significant bruising and blood blisters. The NHS lists tiredness, bruising, pale skin, infections, and swelling as signs of acute myeloid leukaemia, which is an aggressive form of blood cancer.
Leukaemia UK states that nearly 80% of the approximately 1,300 people diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in the UK do not survive beyond five years. Ms Winslet, who previously battled breast cancer, underwent chemotherapy and a successful stem cell transplant and is now in remission.