Man repays NHS £150k for life-saving leukaemia treatment

28 January 2019, 12:30 | Updated: 28 January 2019, 12:53

A student who was diagnosed with cancer in his early teens has paid back the NHS for his treatment

A 20-year-old man who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia when he was 13 has repaid the NHS for his treatment - after making a vow with himself to do so when he was ill.

Andrew Davies has paid the National Health Service a whopping £150,000, the full cost of his life-saving bone marrow transplant.

He was 13 years old when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in September 2012, and subsequently began chemotherapy.

And in January 2013, Andrew then underwent a bone marrow transplant, spending 25 days in isolation.

It was then that Andrew made the vow to one day repay the NHS for treating him, driven by his gratitude for the care he received by doctors and nurses.

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Andrew said that when he asked the nurse how much it cost, his mum 'almost started choking'.

He said, according to The Sun: "She told me my surgery would cost the NHS £150k. That is when I knew what I had to do.

"I had to repay them.

"I've had fantastic support from so many people.

Friends and family have ran marathons, held gala balls and raised money in lieu of presents.

"It's been incredible"

Andrew's fundraising efforts have included a coast-to-coast cycle from Liverpool to Skegness and walking the Dales Way.

He was diagnosed with the illness after feeling unwell when playing sport in the summer of 2012. His mum told him to get a blood test, and he was told he had leukaemia soon after.

Andrew fought the cancer throughout his adolescence, and he has now thankfully been in remission for three years.

The money he raised will go towards a new leukaemia ward at Sheffield Children's Hospital. The transformed ward will be more spacious, airy, and allow parents to sleep alongside their kids.

Cheryl Davidson, Community Fundraising Manager, said: "Andrew's incredible efforts will make a huge difference to young patients from across the region and as far south as Northampton, who depend on the ward's incredible care."

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