Cancer battling duo back charity's Christmas campaign

Two men, including one from South Devon, who struck up a lifelong friendship during a Christmas spent in hospital undergoing gruelling treatment for blood cancer are celebrating 12 years in remission this festive season by supporting Leukaemia UK’s latest fundraising appeal.  

Chris Pearson and Andy met at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford over Christmas 2011 where they were both being treated for aggressive forms of leukaemia. 

Chris, who was living in Oxford at the time and working as a police officer, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in November after several months of tiredness, leg pain and a cough. He was 51.   

“I couldn’t believe that it could be true,” said Chris, now 64 and living in Dorset. “I was very fit and active, and my two youngest sons were only 11 and 7. My wife and I were given a final weekend at home together before my treatment started. We bought the children new bikes and had an early Christmas, not knowing if I would still be around in December.”

Chris went through six gruelling rounds of chemotherapy, enduring repeated infections, weakness and being unable to eat. One thing that helped keep his spirits up was his new friend Andy, who was on the same ward having treatment. The pair came from similar military backgrounds and discovered a shared sense of humour.  

Andy, who is now 35 and lives in Dawlish, Devon, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia on December 1, 2011 at the age of 22. 

“Truly the worst Christmas present I've received!," said Andy. “But our very childish shared sense of humour got us both through it.” 

“We would roam the wards at Churchill Hospital in our Batman and Joker dressing gowns,” said Chris. “We laughed so much during that whole time together and we both think, as do our families, that our meeting played a big part in our getting through the whole thing.” 

Chris eventually had a stem cell transplant. And after several rounds of chemotherapy, Andy also had a transplant with his brother donating the stem cells. After a lengthy period of recovery from their transplants, which involve a pre-treatment of intense chemotherapy and radiation, the pair now remain in remission.  

Knowing that some of the people with them in the ward that Christmas may sadly no longer be here has prompted the pair to support Leukaemia UK’s latest appeal to help them fund research into kinder, more effective treatments. They hope that eventually all those diagnosed will see many more Christmases like they have.    

On average only 22 out of every 100 people diagnosed will survive AML, the leukaemia type Chris had, beyond five years. For ALL, which Andy had, just under 40 out of 100 people aged over 20 with the most common B-cell type ALL will survive their leukaemia for five years or more after being diagnosed**. 

“We never talked about our survival chances,” said Andy. “It was never in our mindset. We both had a very similar positive mental attitude. We didn't want to know because even if it was one per cent, that was going to be us.”

The pair have special memories of that Christmas in hospital, when Chris was hallucinating from the drug treatment he was given.  

 “I looked out of the window and saw the Christmas tree in the courtyard had caught fire,” said Chris. “I rushed out of the room and alerted the nurses who sprang into action and grabbed the nearest fire extinguisher – only to discover there were no flames, the tree had just blown over in the wind. Fortunately, the nurses, myself and Andy all saw the funny side and they teased me about it for some time afterwards.”   

“The absolute certainty in Chris' voice, the complete panic that he caused, only to find out the Christmas tree had blown over – it was nothing short of comedy gold,” remembers Andy. 

Chris and Andy have met up a number of times and keep in touch to this day. Chris has retired from the police force and Andy, who now has two children with wife Tara, works as a Fleet Delivery Manager for Hitachi Rail, 

“I have already had an extra 12 years of life that I may never have had,” said Chris. “Andy got me through it all in a way no one else will ever be able to understand. I would like to live long enough to die an old man, having seen all my sons grow up and have families of their own. I know I am already a very lucky man.”   

“I am convinced that the attitude the two of us took to our leukaemia is what got us through it – it was pure laughter in the face of adversity,” said Andy. “I don't think the bond that Chris and I have is comparable to any other. I don't get emotional much in life but thinking back to what we went through and how that chance meeting was a large contributing factor in me being here today makes me a bit of a wreck. Both our families strongly believe that our friendship made a huge contribution to our recovery.” 

The research and advocacy charity Leukaemia UK, awards its coveted John Goldman fellowships to a select number of early career researchers every year. Each fellow receives £150,000 funding and mentorship to help take vital discoveries from the laboratory to clinical practice. Two of this year’s Fellows, Dr Cecile Lopez and Dr Eliza Yankova, both at the University of Cambridge, will be studying AML, with the hope of improving treatment options for people like Chris. Dr Yang Li, from University College London, will focus her work on T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.. 

Fiona Hazell, CEO of Leukaemia UK, said: “Since the one they shared in hospital Andy and Chris are so grateful to have spent many more Christmases with their families, but sadly the same can’t be said for nearly half of those diagnosed with leukaemia. And the reality is that many patients we speak to have lost the friends they’ve made in hospital. We are encouraging people to support our fundraising appeal this Christmas, and give all those diagnosed the hope of a future with fear of leukaemia.  The more research projects we can fund the closer we are to discovering better, kinder treatments that can stop leukaemia from devastating lives.” 

To donate to Leukaemia UK’s Christmas appeal visit: Donations & Support | Leukaemia UK