Student nurse’s cold was secret sign of cancer

By Elizabeth Hunter

A young woman who had symptoms of a cold discovered it was a deadly form of cancer.

Ayley Crawford, 21, had started a nursing degree at Glasgow Caledonian University at age 19 when she began experiencing repeated colds and sinus infections.

The teen from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, was feeling exhausted and weak "all the time" and struggled to keep food down—but when she fainted during an exam, she sought medical help.

Her doctor took a blood test and referred her to University Hospital Wishaw with suspected diabetes.

Weeks later, after several tests, Crawford was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, an extremely aggressive type of blood cancer that requires urgent treatment.

“I had colds and sinus infections I just couldn’t shake,” recalled Crawford, now 21.

“I was feeling tired all the time and sometimes I was so weak I could barely stand.

"When I fainted during a practical exam at university, I just knew something wasn’t right.”

When Crawford received the diagnosis, she was terrified.

Nearly 80% of people diagnosed with AML in the United Kingdom will not survive beyond five years.

“My first thought was ‘I’m going to die’,” said Crawford. “I knew something was wrong with me, but I never thought it would turn out to be cancer.”

Crawford immediately began treatment, with four cycles of chemotherapy.

“My hair thinned and I felt sick all the time," she said.

"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.

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

Crawford was told she was in remission in November 2024.

She was able to get a part-time job, go on vacation and was hoping to go back to university the following year.

However, in March 2025, a routine bone marrow biopsy revealed she had relapsed.

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

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

Crawford was told she would need a stem cell transplant, and a match was found with an anonymous donor from Australia.

In July 2025 she was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow.

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“Going through transplant was honestly the worst thing I’ve ever endured,” recalled Crawford.

“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 mom, boyfriend Riley and my friend Melissa were able to visit.

"They were my only three visitors allowed.”

After her transplant, Crawford returned home to start a lengthy recovery, having to isolate for three months after the transplant.

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

"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."

Crawford is now in remission and is planning to travel this summer before going back to university in 2026.

“I’m so grateful for the treatment I received, but the anxiety around relapse will never leave,” she continued.

“My experience with leukemia 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 Leukaemia UK, said: “Many people aren’t aware of the signs and symptoms of leukemia until they or someone they know is diagnosed.

"We are so grateful to Crawford 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 doctor to ask for a full blood count test if they’re experiencing them.

"Together, we can stop leukemia from devastating so many lives.”