A British mum-of-one says she was ‘completely blindsided’ when doctors diagnosed her with leukaemia just 10 days after welcoming her first child.
Rebecca Robinson, 33, had experienced extreme tiredness while pregnant, along with bleeding gums — both issues that can often be brushed off as normal during pregnancy.
The product manager underwent a standard blood test at 28 weeks, which showed that her iron levels were low.
“It’s super common in pregnancy, so I was put on iron tablets. I didn’t think anything of it at all,” she told PA Real Life.
Although she felt fatigued, Rebecca carried on working until she reached 38 weeks. By the time she was 40 weeks pregnant, she had also noticed her gums bleeding and spotted a ‘little lump on [her] gum’.
Wanting to be cautious, she visited a dentist, where she was told the problem appeared to be an infection.
“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’,” she said.
Rebecca gave birth in April 2024, but less than two weeks later her life changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with cancer.
After developing a high temperature, she spent eight days in hospital. Doctors carried out routine blood tests during her stay, and she was later sent home.
Not long afterwards, however, she was asked to return to hospital for a bone marrow biopsy. That test confirmed she had leukaemia.
“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.”
Rebecca has since gone into remission following six months of chemotherapy, but she has spoken about feeling as though precious time with her newborn was taken away while she underwent treatment.
“I felt hugely guilty for Annabel because that’s not the life that I wanted her to have,” she told PA Real Life.
“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… but luckily, I got into remission after the first round (of chemotherapy) and I’ve stayed in remission ever since.”
Even so, she said she now feels fortunate to be alive and is focused on reclaiming the moments she missed with her daughter.
Leukaemia Care says blood cancers such as leukaemia can be particularly difficult to spot because their warning signs are often mistaken for other illnesses or life circumstances.
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.”
Common symptoms of leukaemia can include bruising or bleeding more easily than usual, ongoing tiredness, breathlessness and a high temperature. Bleeding gums can be particularly significant as an early warning sign. Although acute leukaemia during pregnancy is extremely rare, occurring in only about 1 in 75,000 to 100,000 pregnancies, it remains one of the most frequent malignant diseases diagnosed during pregnancy due to the rarity of cancer generally in women of childbearing age. The condition is especially challenging to diagnose because early symptoms such as fatigue, anaemia, and bleeding are commonly associated with normal pregnancy, often leading to delayed diagnosis.