A Glasgow woman who was given just months to live has recorded a tribute for the nurse who helped her through her transplant journey.

Anne McLeod was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2016 and received a life-saving transplant from a donor she has never met.

She has spoken of her gratitude to her dedicated clinical nurse specialist (CNS), one of only a few around the country, trained and supported by blood cancer charity, Anthony Nolan.

The 57-year-old said: “To have nurses whose role is to help, advise and support patients going through the transplant journey is invaluable.".

Part-time lettings agent Anne, who is also a full-time carer for her adult daughter with special needs, was diagnosed with Myelofibrosis, a serious bone marrow disorder that disrupts the body's normal production of blood cells.

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She started to feel unwell after experiencing severe fatigue, breathless and night sweats but initially put it down to a virus.

“I thought I had a chest infection and anaemia. So, to be told I had a life expectancy of less than 35 months, unless a stem cell donor was found, was extremely frightening.” she recalled.

Anne was informed her only hope of survival was to have a stem cell transplant. As she had no matches in her family, her medical team and the Anthony Nolan Trust set about their search for an unrelated donor.

It took four months for a match to be found.

She said: “When I heard that special stranger had stepped forward and agreed to donate, it really was a roller-coaster of emotion.

“I was relieved and a bit fearful of what was ahead; but more than anything I was totally elated that a stranger would agree to do such a thing for me."

While in isolation, preparing for pre-transplant chemotherapy, she was introduced to Lorna, her CNS.

Anne experienced a range of debilitating side effects following her transplant. Her recovery was impaired by infections and graft vs host disease (GvHD), where the body attacks the donor cells, leaving her bedridden and reliant on a wheelchair.

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“During this time Lorna was a great support," Anne said.

"She would greet me with a welcoming smile and a listening ear. As she had so much experience in the area, I took great reassurance when she told me what I was experiencing was normal and things would get better.

“The nurses involved in your treatment are hard worked meaning they can’t always spend the time needed to talk in depth with patients. Because listening was interwoven into Lorna’s job description, she always had the time for it. Sometimes this is all that is needed.”

Anthony Nolan funds CNS at 12 hospitals across the UK in the aim of raising the standard of post-transplant care for stem cell transplant recipients.

And, for Anne, they were real lifesavers.

She said: “To have nurses whose role is to help, advise and support patients going through the transplant journey is invaluable.

“Lorna conducted my second late effects interview, which provides a space to discuss symptoms that may develop after one year post-transplant.

"My first was with a doctor I had never met and had to go through everything with him and it felt very impersonal. It was so much easier with someone who knew exactly what I had been through.”

Thankfully, Anne is now in recovery.

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She said: “Over the past few months I have, at last, felt stronger and well. I no longer feel like an invalid. I am still trying to build back my muscles and get very tired but I’m aware I must be patient and take things slowly.

“It is now 35 months since I was hit with the devastating news that I was dying. Thanks to everyone at Anthony Nolan – and notably Lorna, the Beatson and a complete stranger, I am alive and well.”

Find out more about Anthony Nolan, and how to support the charity’s lifesaving work here.