'My brother saved my life on Christmas Eve'

A man who was diagnosed with blood cancer has paid tribute to his brother, whose stem cell transplant at Christmas was the perfect "gift of life".

Adam Claxton from Worcester said being told he had acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in September had come as a shock.

His brother Leon was found to be a 100% match and the transplant took place on 24 December.

"We've always been close anyway, he's always been one of my best friends," Mr Claxton said.

With hindsight, the life coach said some of the illnesses he had suffered last year might have been showing him signs of AML, but he had no idea until his diagnosis.

"You never think it's going to be you," he said.

"It's life-changing and it really tests everything you've got within you. It's been tough."

When he was first admitted to hospital for five weeks in order to undergo chemotherapy, his doctors discussed potential treatment options, including a stem cell transplant.

"My brother was tested to see if we would be a future match for transplant should it need to go down that route," Mr Claxton said.

"That result came back positive, he was a 12 out of 12. My consultant said he was basically as good as being me without being me, it was so close."

Mr Claxton was in hospital over Christmas, receiving the transplant on Christmas Eve, and said he was now in recoveery.

He is due to have a bone marrow biopsy in April to see whether or not the leukaemia has gone.

"My brother lives three minutes around the corner and ultimately he saved my life," Mr Claxton said.

"He was an absolute soldier with it, he took it in his stride, he didn't bat an eyelid really he just said 'it's something I have to do'."

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