A man suffering symptoms of leukaemia was initially misdiagnosed as doctors blamed signs including back and joint pain on his job as an electrician.
The patient, named Joel, was first given an arthritis diagnosis, but later became very fatigued as he wasn't getting enough sleep.
The man, from Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, also lost weight as he could not eat as much as usual.
Following numerous GP appointments, calls to 111, A&E visits and swapping doctor surgeries, Joel was finally given a chance to undergo an MRI scan and blood test, HertsLive reports.
On the day of his MRI results, Joel's partner Amy rushed him to A&E as he was in agony and his lips turned blue.
While they were on their way to the hospital, the consultant rang and told them: "Joel has blood cancer."
Amy said: "I will never, ever forget Joel's face when those words were said. Once we arrived in A&E, we waited for four hours.
"During this time Joel caught sepsis. He was rushed to intensive care. In 24 hours our world had been turned upside down."
Joel, then aged 30, recovered from sepsis and was out of intensive care after two days.
He was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), a type of cancer that affects white blood cells.
The NHS explains ALL progresses quickly and aggressively and requires immediate treatment.
Joel endured his first chemotherapy and sustained an extraordinary reaction to a drug, where he developed pancreatitis and ended up in intensive care once again.
Whilst still receiving treatment, Joel is still continuing to fight the challenges of his leukaemia diagnosis but is currently in remission.
Amy said: "We have battled through the toughest of times as a family and Joel has been truly inspiring throughout, showing superhuman strength and amazing levels of bravery.
"At one point he caught Covid whilst in hospital and had three weeks when he was not allowed any visitors."
Joel's partner wants to raise awareness of blood cancer, so the couple are now working with charities including Leukaemia UK as they hope more healthcare professionals will be trained on how to spot the disease.
Leukaemia patients are being misdiagnosed or waiting too long for a blood test, as patients face "the luck of the draw" - with GPs often left without adequate support.
Zack Pemberton-Whiteley, chief executive of Leukaemia Care, said: "A blood test is needed to rule out leukaemia.
"A full blood count [FBC] is a cheap, everyday test that can also help explore what other causes there might be for the patient's symptoms."
Fiona Hazell, chief executive of Leukaemia UK said: "The earlier that people are diagnosed, the greater the range of treatment options available to them.
"By enabling patients to have access to the best range of treatments as early as possible, early diagnosis combined with advancements in treatments thanks to research, can help to save and improve lives.
"A leukaemia diagnosis has a devastating impact at any stage, but by detecting it early via a blood test, the additional anxiety, complications, and potential loss of life caused by an emergency diagnosis can be avoided.
"It is vitally important that the capacity for blood testing and pathology is increased to enable GPs to offer a blood test at the earliest opportunity and that there is more support for GPs to interpret the blood test results too."
