Sharron Clarke, 54, was diagnosed after she was rushed to hospital with extreme chest pain and she is now sharing her story to raise awareness
A woman who dismissed fatigue and night sweats as symptoms of the menopause was rushed to hospital hours after a hiking trip.
She was diagnosed with an aggressive blood cancer. Sharron Clarke, 54, led a perfectly healthy and active life despite feeling “tired and a bit sweaty”, attributing her symptoms to the menopause.
Yet just hours after a hiking trip, Sharron was fighting for her life in hospital after developing severe chest pains. The bed factory worker was rushed to hospital with suspected heart failure.
By the end of that very same day, she had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) – an aggressive blood cancer she, like many others, had never associated with her age or symptoms. Sharron underwent intensive chemotherapy and other treatments which left her seriously ill – at one stage even causing bleeding behind her eyes due to low platelets, resulting in lasting damage to her vision.
Thankfully, she went into remission as a result – and remains on maintenance treatments until 2027 – as she speaks out to raise awareness of the symptoms of leukaemia.
Mum-of-two Sharron said: “I was completely fine that morning. I’d been up at half three with friends, climbing Catbells for sunrise. I felt mostly healthy, active – nothing about me said ‘seriously ill’.
“I’d never been ill in my life apart from the odd cold. So when I started feeling tired and a bit sweaty, I just thought it was my age. I didn’t go to the doctor. I just assumed it was menopause.
“I didn’t think leukaemia would ever be something I’d get. I thought it was a childhood illness or something that happened to older people.
“It could have gone very differently. I know how lucky I am.”
Sharron had no symptoms or health concerns prior to the hiking trip on July 26, 2025, when she went climbing Catbells mountain in Cumbria with friends. However, when she began experiencing severe chest pain, an ambulance was called and paramedics rushed her to hospital, initially suspecting a heart attack.
She was blue-lighted to hospital, where tests revealed the chest pain she had suffered was actually bone pain caused by the leukaemia. Within days, Sharron was transferred to Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital, where she began intensive chemotherapy, and a course of doxorubicin, the chemotherapy drug known as the “red devil”.
She said: “You’ve only got two choices. Sit and feel sorry for yourself, or fight it. I chose to fight.”
Having been in remission since September 2025, Sharron has returned to her job at a local bed factory on reduced hours, after initially being signed off for longer. She is also gradually rebuilding her fitness, getting back into walking and running where possible – including completing a 5km run, albeit with breaks.
She said: “At the moment things are good. I’m in deep remission. I just hope it stays that way.”
Sharron found the phrase ‘be a warrior, not a worrier’, once said to her by a nurse, to be enormously motivating. She added: “There’s no point worrying about things that haven’t happened yet. You just have to stay strong and take each day as it comes.”
Colin Dyer, chief executive of Leukaemia Care, said: “Sharron’s story perfectly illustrates why our Spot Leukaemia campaign matters. She was a fit, active woman who thought her symptoms were simply part of the menopause. Within hours of climbing a mountain, she was being told she had an aggressive form of blood cancer.
“Leukaemia doesn’t discriminate, and its symptoms are often easy to dismiss. That’s why raising awareness is so vital. The sooner people recognise the signs and seek help, the sooner they can receive potentially life-saving treatment. We’re incredibly proud of Sharron for sharing her experience and helping others understand that if something doesn’t feel right, it’s always worth getting checked.”
