My 'glandular fever' was actually leukaemia - and my sister saved my life

After constantly feeling under the weather, Jody White assumed blood tests would simply confirm he had glandular fever – not two weeks to live.

At the age of 17, he was diagnosed with acute undifferentiated leukaemia (AUL) and immediately started chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

"Everything just fell apart in my head and life as I knew it dissolved. It was a complete shock," recalled the digital designer from Presteigne, Powys.

After months of treatment and battling pneumonia, Jody's parents were told his best chance for survival was a bone marrow transplant.

After testing Jody's three siblings, his 11-year-old sister Jessie was found to be a perfect match.

Looking back, Jessie, now 37, said she and Jody were "always very close".

In the summer of 1999 Jody, now 44, was preparing to start his A-levels when he started experiencing "repeated infections".

"I'd have an ear infection and doctors gave me some antibiotics, then I'd come back with something else in a different part of my body.

"Concurrently, I was getting these large rashes, which would appear for a few days and then go down again and then appear in other parts of the body."

Jody had "muffly" hearing in one ear so doctors, suspecting glandular fever, sent him for a blood test.

Within two hours, Jody was told to see his GP urgently. The teenager intuitively knew something was wrong.

"The GP looked very ashen and glum, and then he basically just said 'I'm really sorry, but you've got leukaemia'."

Jody, who grew up in Bridgnorth, Shropshire, was admitted to Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

A consultant told his parents he would have just two weeks to live without treatment - something they kept from Jody at the time.

He began chemotherapy "the very next day", which resulted in all-over hair loss and weight loss.

During treatment, Jody developed pneumonia that left him "struggling to breathe" and was placed in intensive care.

"I was very close to death," he said.

Jody pulled through and went into remission, but the bone marrow transplant would eliminate the "lingering possibility" that the cancer might return.

Everyone inherits human leukocyte antigen (HLA) markers from their parents, meaning siblings have a higher chance - 25% - of being a perfect match, according to Cancer Research UK.

Jody's siblings – Jemma, Jessie, and Josh – were all tested and it was revealed that Jessie was the only one who had a match for five out of five markers.

The closer the match, the lower the risk that the recipient's body will reject the transplant.

Jessie went under general anaesthetic so doctors could retrieved bone marrow from her hips, which was then given to Jody through an IV in February 2000.

She said: "Once I'd got over the drowsiness after a couple of hours, they shuffled me over to a phone that they were able to hold up to Jody's ear because he was in a separate sterile room. He was already halfway through the transfusion."

Following weeks of isolation and anti-rejection drugs, by April 2000 doctors told the family progress was good.

After a decade of checks and monitoring, Jody's consultant told him: "I don't think we need to see you anymore, you're as good as cured."

"I was incredibly relieved. It was magical and a big moment," said Jody.

Jessie added: "When you think about the odds of Jody getting that particular disease and then for me to have the very specific matching, it helps you to see the world as not a chaotic place.

"I think hope is so important and it's often so hard to find hope in times like these."