Joy for 21-year-old Emily Land as bone marrow transplant from stranger leaves her cancer-free

Emily Land, 21, a law apprentice from Oulton, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia - cancer of the white blood cells - after she started finding bruises across her body.

After seeing her GP, Emily was sent to St James' Hospital in October 2021 – later that day was told she had leukaemia.

After four rounds of chemotherapy, Emily was given the all-clear but just six weeks later she relapsed.

In August 2022, she was told her leukaemia had returned and she would have to have a bone marrow transplant.

She was placed on the Anthony Nolan transplant register and three months later was told they found a match from a stranger in the Netherlands.

"I was in shock when I was told I had cancer, I didn't realise what I was being told,” she said.

"It was a case of being shown a room and saying 'here is your room for the night you are staying in'.

"It was different for my mum, she knew the severity of the situation. I didn't take anything from that whole time.

"When I got told I had relapsed it was worse because I didn't know what to expect with the transplant.

"It didn't feel real at all.

"Now I am cancer-free, I am going to counselling to overcome what I have been through.

"There is a lot of trauma - this is something a lot of people my age haven't been through."

Speaking of her diagnosis, Emily said: "I went one morning for the blood test, came home and went about my day.

"Around 5pm I got a call from the hospital, telling me that I needed to go in for more blood tests.

"I didn't think anything of it but by the next day we knew I was diagnosed and in for a month."

Three days later, Emily underwent her first round of chemotherapy before she was given the all-clear in July 2022 - after a further three rounds.

Six weeks later, Emily started noticing more bruising across her body and was told she had relapsed and would need a transplant.

Emily started more chemotherapy in the September and was placed on the transplant register straight away.

She also caught pneumonia twice and developed sepsis three times.

Emily was waiting for a transplant for three months before her mum Kirstie got a call in November 2022, telling her that they had found a match in the Netherlands.

The transplant took place over two days and involved a transfusion where her damaged blood cells were replaced with healthy ones.

Emily said: "The recovery was tough, that was the hardest thing.

"Now I am cancer-free."

Emily said she would love to meet up with the woman who saved her life.

She said: "All we know is that they are a woman and they are 25 years old.

"I have to wait two years until we can meet her but I would be so open to meeting - it is amazing what she has done.

"I don't have the words to thank her.”