My cancer is now terminal but I'm determined to still fundraise

Olivia Knowles, 32, had always been super fit and had completed two triathlons in 2023 before being told that she had the potentially fatal disease and undergoing chemotherapy just before Christmas that year.

She had felt a little tired but thought it was Covid.

However, despite this terrible setback, Olivia was determined to remain positive and supported a fundraising pony trek by her friend’s young daughter to raise funds for soft furnishings at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where Olivia was first treated.

Just weeks ago, things were looking positive for Olivia, who owns the Olivia Knowles Hair and Beauty on Highcross Road, Poulton, and the illness appeared to be receding after more than a year of treatment.

But it has returned and she has now been told she may have only two months to live because of the sudden spread of her illness Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a fast-growing blood cancer affecting the bone marrow and blood.

Once again, the athlete in Olivia has risen to the fore and she is determined to raise as many funds as possible on vital surgical equipment for King's College Hospital London, with a walk around Fairhaven Lake, near Lytham.

She said: “.Just under two weeks ago I was admitted into hospital for gut GVHD (a common side effect of a stem cell transplant - I felt rather crap, but nothing to worry about.

“The following day things took a turn. 10% blasts in my blood - active disease. A bone marrow that afternoon and results within 24 hours confirmed - relapse.

“Just one week before my blood was clean, counts were great, previous marrow showed zero disease and I was 100 per cent donor.

“Totally blind sided. Prognosis not great (months). What’s next, I don’t know. AML is one of the most aggressive cancers - I have the worst version of AML (there are 100’s of variants).

“It’s evading everything we’ve thrown at it. Over 250 nights spent in hospital often with sepsis or other chemo related war wounds. It’s been fun.My body is battered.

“ I went into this a bit of an athlete, I now struggle to walk up the stairs.”

Despite this, she says: “ I’m going to have a go at walking a marathon around Fairhaven lake to raise money for King College Hospital clinical research department. I have encountered some brilliant minds at Kings. I truly trust that any money raised for their clinical research department will help eradicate this awful disease.”

So far, Olivia has raised more than £24,000.

To help with te fund, visit here .