Emilia Shaw, a nurse with two decades of experience, was recently diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and now needs a matching donor.
She has strong ties to Swindon, where her mother still lives, but is now based in Bromsgrove with her husband Ben and their two sons, Henry, aged six, and Felix, aged four.
The family is working with blood cancer charity DKMS to encourage more people to sign up as potential stem cell donors.
Her appeal comes shortly after another campaign in Bromsgrove to find a donor for a sixteen year old boy with leukaemia, highlighting the ongoing shortage of suitable matches.
Emilia said she first noticed something was wrong over the summer, when she began feeling unusually exhausted.
“I was just so tired all the time,” she says. “I would feel tired at the wheel, and I’d even fallen asleep watching panto with my boys. I had my bloods taken on a Monday morning, and by tea time I was in hospital having a blood transfusion. The very next day I was told I had acute myeloid leukaemia.”
Doctors have since confirmed she will need a stem cell transplant.
Only around one in three patients find a suitable match within their family, and while tests are ongoing to see if one of Emilia’s siblings could be a donor, there is a strong chance she will need a stranger to step forward.
For Emilia, the diagnosis carries a painful irony.
She previously worked as a staff nurse at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, where she would return as a patient if a suitable donor is found.
“It’s strange to go from nurse to patient,” she says, “but I know they’ll look after me.”
Since her diagnosis, Emilia has been undergoing intensive treatment and has spent long periods in hospital.
She has missed key family moments including her birthday, Christmas, new year’s eve, and her sons’ nativity play.
The emotional strain has been intensified by the family’s recent history with cancer.
“Ben’s mum died three years ago after a very short battle with cancer,” she explains. “Then in January 2025 my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time and had a mastectomy and reconstruction. Ben’s dad also has chronic leukaemia. It can feel like cancer has touched every part of our family.”
Despite this, Emilia says the possibility of a transplant is keeping her focused on the future.
“Knowing that what I have is treatable with a stem cell transplant has meant everything to us,” she says. “I just want to get back to normal life with my boys.”
Explaining the illness to her children has been one of the most difficult challenges.
“My youngest just knows that mummy’s blood isn’t working,” she says. “My six year old understands more. Mostly, he just wants to know when I’ll be able to come home, which was especially hard over Christmas.”
Bronagh Hughes, a spokesperson for DKMS, said a matching donor could be lifesaving.
“For Emilia, a stem cell transplant from a matching donor could give her life back,” she said. “The process is very simple, and most people will never be called to donate. But if you are, nine times out of ten it’s a straightforward outpatient procedure, similar to donating blood platelets. You really could be the person someone is waiting for.”
Anyone who wants to find out more or order a swab kit can visit www.dkms.org.uk
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