My exhaustion was blamed on low iron and docs dismissed it as ‘normal’ but it was leukaemia at just 31

FIRST-time mum Rebecca Robinson was told her exhaustion and low iron levels were “common pregnancy symptoms”. She felt “completely blindsided” to be diagnosed with leukaemia 10 days after giving birth. Rebecca Robinson, 33, was told her tiredness and low iron levels were normal Credit: PA Real Life But just 10 days after giving birth, she was diagnosed with blood cancer Credit: PA Real Life Product manager Rebecca, 33, who lives in Leeds with her husband James, experienced fatigue during her pregnancy in 2024. When a blood test flagged low iron at 28 weeks, her midwife was not concerned. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! Her gums started bleeding in the final weeks of pregnancy, but Rebecca was told this perfectly normal. But just days after giving birth, Rebecca was told she had acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) – a fast-growing type of blood cancer – and she needed to start treatment immediately, leaving her in “complete shock”. Rebecca with her husband James and daughter Annabel in hospital Credit: PA Real Life Rebecca felt robbed of her time with baby Annabel Credit: PA Real Life Starting chemo two days later, the new mum said she felt “robbed” of time with her newborn. “It just felt so unfair,” she said. “You’ve spent nine months psyching yourself up for this experience, and then it was just completely taken away. “I felt hugely guilty for Annabel because that’s not the life that I wanted her to have. Most read in Health “I wanted to be able to go to baby classes with her and just have the maternity leave away from work, and my reality was completely different. “I just felt robbed.” Rebecca explained that she was “completely healthy” prior to her cancer diagnosis. She “never went to the doctors”, but at 28 weeks pregnant, she had a routine blood test which flagged low iron levels. Rebecca battled fatigue throughout her pregnancy but thought it was normal to feel that way Credit: PA Real Life Blood tests during her labour flagged something was wrong Credit: PA Real Life “It’s super common in pregnancy, so I was put on iron tablets. I didn’t think anything of it at all,” she said. Rebecca experienced fatigue as well but, given this was her first pregnancy, she assumed it was simply “pregnancy tiredness”. She was able to continue working up until 38 weeks, but at 40 weeks, she started experiencing bleeding gums and noticed a “little lump” on her gum. Many pregnant women get a condition called pregnancy gingivitis, where the gums become swollen, red and tender, and they may bleed when brushing or flossing, according to the NHS. While Rebecca knew this was a “common pregnancy symptom”, she decided to visit the dentist “to get it checked out”. She recalled: “The dentist said: ‘Oh, it’s just an infection, but there’s no point in giving you antibiotics because you’re 40 weeks pregnant. Of course, your gums are going to be bleeding’. “I could have gone to 1,000 dentists and probably not one of them would have thought (it was) leukaemia because I was so heavily pregnant and it’s such a common pregnancy symptom.” On April 26 2024, during labour, Rebecca said she requested an epidural – an injection in the back to help relieve pain – and doctors took blood samples, which revealed her platelets were low. Rebecca started chemotherapy two days after her diagnosis, meaning she couldn’t spend quality time with her daughter Credit: PA Real Life Now in remission, she loved being a mum Credit: PA Real Life She said: “It wasn’t until I had my blood test during labour that doctors said: ‘No, something crazy is happening’.” Just hours after delivery, Rebecca developed a high temperature and was kept in hospital for eight days, where she underwent tests for various conditions. She was discharged from hospital after her temperature returned to normal and was told to monitor her symptoms and return in six weeks for more blood tests. However, two days later – 10 days after giving birth – she was called back into hospital for a bone marrow biopsy and was told to bring an overnight bag. While cuddling her newborn baby on May 7, she was given the news that she had AML – and she felt “completely blindsided”. “They took me into a room and said: ‘You’ve got leukaemia. We’re going to do a biopsy today to work out exactly what’s what, but you’ll be in for six weeks and you’ll have to stop breastfeeding because the chemo will make your milk toxic’,” she explained. “It all just felt very out of the blue.” According to the charity Leukaemia Care, leukaemia and other blood cancers can cause vague symptoms. Some of the more common symptoms can include feeling exhausted, bruising easily, unusual bleeding such as nosebleeds or bleeding gums, infections, fever and joint or bone pain. Rebecca started chemotherapy two days after her diagnosis, meaning she couldn’t breastfeed, attend baby classes or spend quality time with her daughter during her first six months of life. She reached remission after the first round of chemotherapy, but she continued to have three more rounds, ending in November 2024. The 33-year-old now has biopsies every three months, with two more left on her current treatment plan, and she feels extremely “lucky” to be alive. She “loves being a mum” and is enjoying “making up all the time that (she) lost” with Annabel. Rebecca is urging others to get any unusual symptoms checked and to advocate for themselves. “Now I’m near the end, I keep thinking: ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe that actually happened to me and I actually survived it’,” she said. She added: “To anyone diagnosed, just know that it’s all temporary and you can make a full recovery. “That is the story I wish that I would have seen two years ago when I was lying in bed with a newborn. “I wish I could have just found a story like mine and thought: ‘That’s going to be me’.” Colin Dyer, chief executive of Leukaemia Care, said: “Rebecca’s story is a powerful reminder that leukaemia can strike at any stage of life – even during pregnancy. “Every symptom she experienced had a perfectly innocent explanation, and that is exactly what makes this disease so difficult to catch. “We are so grateful to Rebecca for sharing her experience and helping to show others that if something doesn’t feel right, it is always worth asking for a blood test.” You can find out more about Leukaemia Care’s ‘Spot Leukaemia’ campaign here. Comment now