Traveller spent two months in a coma and died TWICE after developing leukaemia on her gap year
Gap year millennial, 26, who dismissed bruises on her bikini line for hair removal injuries actually had leukaemia and spent months in a coma
- Freya Clarke quit her sales job after becoming ‘bored’ with London life
- Within days of her trip, she noticed bruising and suffered a long, heavy period
- Blood tests confirmed she had cancer, which required treating immediately
- Ms Clarke reacted so badly to therapy, doctors put her in an eight-week coma
- When they tried to resuscitate her, Ms Clarke’s heart stopped beating
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A young traveller who dismissed bruises on her bikini line for laser hair removal injuries was horrified to discover they were signs of leukaemia.
Freya Clarke, 26, from East Grinstead, Sussex, noticed the unusual bruises while relaxing on the beach during her gap year in Australia.
Ms Clarke headed off on an adventure of a lifetime after quitting her sales and marketing job when she became ‘bored’ with London life.
After blood tests confirmed she was suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia, Ms Clarke was forced to endure grueling chemotherapy in Australia, which caused her to lose her hair and left her in constant pain.
Her body reacted so badly to the treatment, doctors put her in an induced eight-week coma to help her body cope with the drugs, however, when they tried to resuscitate her, Ms Clarke’s heart stopped beating for several minutes.
Once strong enough to fly home, Ms Clarke was transferred to The Royal Marsden, where she caught an infection that required she undergo an eight-hour operation to remove her appendix and right fallopian tube; she may now be infertile.
Recovering at her parents house, Ms Clarke has not yet been given the all-clear and accepts she may require further chemotherapy. She is speaking out to raise awareness of leukaemia’s symptoms.
Freya Clarke spent two months in a coma and died twice after developing leukaemia during her gap year in Australia. Ms Clarke first noticed unusual symptoms while in Bali (pictured)
While relaxing on the beach, Ms Clarke noticed bruising along her bikini line, which she put down to the laser hair removal she had recently had done. After suffering a heavy period, Ms Clarke went to a doctor for blood tests and was later diagnosed with blood cancer
Too unwell to fly home, Ms Clarke was forced to undergo grueling chemotherapy in Australia. Her mother Christine (pictured) flew out to be by her daughter’s bedside. When doctors worried Ms Clarke would not survive, her sister Sorrel (also pictured) and father joined her
WHAT IS ACUTE MYELOID LEUKEMIA?
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of blood cancer that starts in young white blood cells in the bone marrow.
AML affects around one in 200 men and one in 255 women in the UK at some point in their lives.
Approximately 19,500 new cases occur every year in the US.
It is most often diagnosed in older people.
Symptoms can include:
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Frequent infections
- Bruising or bleeding easily, including nosebleeds or heavy periods
- Weight loss
- Bone and joint pain
- Breathlessness
- Swollen abdomen
- Pale skin
AML’s exact cause is unclear, however, risks include:
- Smoking
- Being overweight
- Radiation exposure
- Previous chemotherapy
- Certain blood disorders, such as myelodysplastic syndrome
- Some immune conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis
AML is usually treated via chemotherapy. A bone marrow or stem cell transplant may be required.
Source: Cancer Research UK
‘I thought they must have made a mistake’
Ms Clarke initially thought her bikini-line bruising was down to her accidentally banging herself while working in a bar or laser hair removal she had done to prepare for her holiday.
She said: ‘I had these weird bruises on my leg, but I just brushed it off and told myself I had picked them up while bumping into things at the bar.
‘Then I had a very long and heavy period, which did seem strange. I tried to brush it off again, thinking maybe it was to do with the stress of travel, but it played on my mind.
‘I thought I might have anaemia but it certainly never crossed my mind that it could be anything really serious.’
To be on the safe side, she went to a GP for blood tests and was later diagnosed.
Ms Clarke, who is single, said: ‘My first thought was just, “well, this is going to ruin my holiday”.
‘They weren’t completely sure at first what it was and I just thought they must have made a mistake, because apart from the bruising I didn’t feel ill.
‘Then the shock began to kick in and I was just thinking that this couldn’t be happening to me.
‘The hardest part was telling my mum. I handed the phone over to [my friend] Caitlin and asked her to tell mum, but she was crying too much, so eventually the doctor had to tell her.’
Ms Clarke claims her body ‘reacted violently and basically freaked out’ to chemotherapy, which caused her to lose her hair and endure constant pain for three months
Ms Clarke (pictured in Croatia this year) was put in a coma to help her body cope with chemo. Yet, when doctors tried to wake her, her heart stopped beating for several minutes
Ms Clarke was later resuscitated and claims she has mentally blocked out that time
Ms Clarke (pictured in Bali) says she has been dealt some ‘severe blows’ and never expected to ‘pop off on holiday’ only to be diagnosed with cancer and leave with a five-inch scar
‘My body basically freaked out’
Ms Clarke’s mother, Christine, 59, boarded the next flight to Sydney, where she stayed by her daughter’s bedside for the next three months while she underwent chemotherapy, was put into a coma and even died twice.
Ms Clarke said: ‘My brain has blocked out most of that time.
‘I reacted very violently to the drugs and my body basically freaked out, which led to my heart stopping on two occasions, when I would have been technically dead before being resuscitated.’
With doctors thinking Ms Clarke would not survive, her devastated father Peter, 63, and sister Sorrel, 29, flew out to be with her.
Thankfully, her condition began to improve once she was out of the coma, with the family celebrating Christmas at her bedside.
Ms Clarke said: ‘It sounds weird but it was one of the nicest Christmases ever because I had all my family over there with me.
‘Caitlin was there too, and my friend from home, James, flew out to surprise me a few days before Christmas.’
Despite fears she would not survive, Ms Clarke’s condition improved once her family flew out
Ms Clarke (pictured with Sorrel) celebrated Christmas in hospital surrounded by her family, with friends also visiting. She claims it was one of the nicest festive seasons she remembers
‘I’ve been dealt some pretty severe blows over the last year’
In January this year, Ms Clarke was finally well enough to fly home but was admitted to The Royal Marsden the following day.
Once there, Ms Clarke developed the infection that forced her to undergo surgery.
She said: ‘I know I will probably have to have more treatment which won’t be nice, but actually I feel fine now, much better than I have done since the whole thing started.’
Although Ms Clarke hopes to visit Australia again in the future, she is unsure if she could cope with being away from home.
She said: ‘I would love to go back there one day. But now I’m not sure I could stay. The only way I have managed to get through the last year is because of my friends and family – and I couldn’t face leaving them behind now.
‘I’ve been dealt some pretty severe blows over the last year.
‘It’s certainly not what you expect; to pop off on holiday and come back with cancer and a 5-inch scar down your stomach. It’s pretty hard to come to terms with.’
Ms Clarke is working with the charity Leukaemia Care to support their Spot Leukaemia campaign to raise awareness of the signs of the disease via special symptoms cards, which can be ordered from their website and presented to doctors.
Order a symptoms card here.
Ms Clarke (pictured in Australia) was finally well enough to fly home last January but needed further treatment. While in hospital in the UK, she developed an infection that required she have an eight-hour operation to remove a fallopian tube, which may have left her infertile
Ms Clarke (pictured in Australia) has not been given the all clear and may need more chemo
Although Ms Clarke (pictured in Bali) hopes to return to Australia, she claims she could not cope with being away from her loved ones for a long time after enduring such a health scare
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