A mum who was given lifesaving stem cells by her son so she could enjoy Christmas after a terrifying leukaemia diagnosis says she no longer views the festive period as a “chore”.
Linda Sellar, 64, a retired civil servant, was diagnosed with leukaemia in July 2019 and, after three rounds of intensive five-day chemotherapy, was in search of a match who could donate stem cells to her.
After having her family tested, it was discovered that her best bet for a successful transplant was from son Jack, 28, who donated cells in April 2020.
In May 2020, Sellar went into hospital to have the stem cells put into her bloodstream intravenously, which was a life-saving procedure.
Since her illness, Sellar now views Christmas as a celebration after previously considering it a chore, as she would not be here to celebrate if it was not for her son’s gift.
Sellar lives in Plymouth with husband Kevin, 65, a retired Royal Marine, and they have two children, Jack and Claire, 25, as well as Ryan, 43, from Kevin’s first marriage.
Sellar told PA Real Life: “We used to celebrate Christmas with a large family, 11 to 15 people sometimes, and I used to think, ‘Here we go again.’ So much to prepare for food-wise and places to drive to and it would sometimes feel like a chore.
“But now I feel very strongly about Christmas being a celebration because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my son’s donation.
“I want to make the most of moments like these with my family and I want times like these to be a celebration for us.”
Sellar first noticed something was wrong in June 2019 after losing her voice.
She said: “I’d noticed I was experiencing slight breathlessness when walking uphill. I didn’t feel ill but I completely lost my voice.
“I didn’t think much of it at first but it went on for about a week, and then the week after that I developed a dry, tickly cough which went on for quite a while and was quite debilitating. Once I started coughing, I really couldn’t stop.”
After Sellar’s husband suggested she seek medical advice, she booked a GP appointment.
She added: “They were very proactive in getting me a blood test. A few days later, my results came in and my doctor phoned me up and asked how I was feeling. I told her I was fine and she said, ‘Well, you should be feeling awful,’ because my haemoglobin levels were low.”
Her doctor wanted Sellar to go for a bone marrow biopsy but she had booked a family trip to France so, with the medic’s approval, she was given two units of blood before jetting off on her trip.
Once back in the UK in July 2019, Linda went for a bone marrow biopsy at Derriford Hospital and the results confirmed the worst.
Linda had acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), a form of leukaemia that progresses quickly and aggressively, and usually requires immediate treatment.
She said receiving the news was an “out-of-body experience”.
She said: “It was quite a lot to take on board. I went into a room for the consultation and they introduced the people there, including one lady who was an oncology nurse, so that threw up a few flags.
“I just don’t think I really understood what it was or how bad it was and what the implications would be because I didn’t really feel that bad myself physically.
“I probably shouldn’t have gone to France but I didn’t know what it was when I went.”
Sellar was placed on treatment the following week, which involved an intensive course of chemotherapy over five days.
During that time, as Sellar’s immune system was down due to the chemo, she was placed in isolation at the hospital, where medics needed to wash their hands and put on aprons before entering so as not to compromise her health.
The hope was that the chemotherapy would shrink the cancer in her bloodstream, but after a bone marrow biopsy it was discovered that the treatment had not worked.
Sellar said: “Unfortunately it hadn’t worked so they started talking about stem cells and things like that.”
She required another round of intensive chemo which saw her lose her hair, then in October 2019, Sellar went in for a second bone marrow biopsy and was delighted to find out the treatment had worked.
She said: “They were happy with how it had gone and decided to give me a third round of chemotherapy just be absolutely certain.”
However, Sellar was not out of the woods yet, as she was warned that her type of cancer meant she was at serious risk of relapse.
She added: “I needed a stem cell transplant in order to be sure that I would be clear so that’s when family started getting tested.
“My sister was tested in New Zealand and the NHS were planning to have her donate the stem cells, freeze them and have them flown over if she was a match, but she wasn’t so that was out the window.”
When her children were tested, it was found that Jack was the best chance of being a suitable match.
In April 2020, he went into hospital so medics could extract the cells from his blood.
Sellar said: “It’s a simple process that doesn’t involve anything intrusive. They take the blood from the donor out of one arm, put it in a washing machine-type thing that takes out the stem cells and then puts the blood back in the other arm.
“The stem cells were then frozen and a slot was booked in for me to go and receive those stem cells.”
In May, Sellar received the lifesaving transplant from her son and is now cancer-free.
She said: “It was amazing to have him do that for me, I was very proud of him. It was lovely that he put himself forward to help me.”
She still has regular check-ups at the hospital, with tests coming back clear, and Sellar said she feels “lucky” to be here.
Last Christmas, Sellar was able to enjoy the festivities like normal after receiving the life-saving stem cells.
She said: “It was normal, I could do everything previously because I’d had the stem cells in the May. I can’t say I was completely all right as the hospital staff were still very conscious of the fact that I was prone to infection, so I was having an eye kept on me.
“I feel strongly about Christmas being a celebration now and I’m looking forward to this Christmas with my family.
“I just want to emphasise really how important it is that young people get themselves on the DKMS register to donate stem cells because it’s not a particularly intrusive procedure and it’s important to make sure people get a match.”
To donate to the Leukaemia UK Christmas Appeal, visit this page.
