The young student, who thought he had partied too much during a trip with his friends, was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease just one week after experiencing symptoms. The then-18-year-old student is now encouraging other people to get checked out as soon as possible if something doesn’t feel right. “I knew something wasn’t right. I was struggling to eat anything because my throat was so sore. My lymph nodes were all up down my neck so I just booked a flight home.” he said.
In 2018, the then-18-year-old student Tom Hunt, was with friends when he first started feeling unwell. Shortly after, he started feeling worse. At this point he was suffering from a chest and throat infection and felt exceptionally tired. The young man also said that even after 16 hours of sleep, he was still feeling tired. Unfortunately, Hunt also started suffering from a chest and throat infection and felt exceptionally tired, reports Evening News. So, he decided to go home early and was able to book a doctor’s appointment with his friend’s dad.
Hunt was then given antibiotics and booked in for a blood test two days later after raising concerns about a large lump on his leg. The results confirmed that he was suffering with glandular fever. Unfortunately the medical personnel also told the student that he could have leukaemia. He was immediately referred to another hospital and diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
During an interview with the Mirror, the student reportedly said: “From the July that year I had been feeling tired when I was going to work but then I’d just finished my A-levels and it was nothing you wouldn’t put down as normal. I went away with my mates and we were interrailing around Europe. I started feeling quite ill but powered on thinking I needed to stop drinking and sleep a bit more but in Prague I was just ridiculously ill. I normally sleep about seven or eight hours and I was sleeping 18 hours.
I knew something wasn’t right. I was struggling to eat anything because my throat was so sore. My lymph nodes were all up down my neck so I just booked a flight home. Luckily one of the lads I was on holiday with, his dad is our local GP so he saw me straight away when I got back. He said it was just a throat infection and to take antibiotics and it should all be okay. But whilst I was away I’d crossed my legs while I was on the train asleep for like three hours and I got a massive big lump.”
Hunt was admitted to hospital and the doctors told him he had leukaemia two days later. In the next few months, Hunt underwent multiple blood and platelet transfusions and gruelling chemotherapy. Now, four years after his diagnosis, the doctors told him that he has been in morphological remission and is preparing to start at the university next month, he said.
Hunt is now able to get back to doing the things he loves like the gym, going out with friends and is preparing to start university next month. Now, the young man also wants to encourage others to get checked as soon as possible if something does not feel right.