'My 11-year-old sister saved my life after horror diagnosis'

'My 11-year-old sister saved my life after horror diagnosis'Jody White was consistently feeling ill when he was given the devastating newsCommentsNewsHoward Lloyd Regional content editor08:44, 07 Apr 2026Updated 08:45, 07 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesJody was told he only had weeks to live(Image: PA)A brother has described what it was like for his 11-year-old sister to give him a life-saving bone marrow transplant after he was diagnosed at 17 with an ultra-rare form of leukaemia that affects roughly one in every million people.‌Jody White, now 44, a digital designer living in the Welsh town of Presteigne, was diagnosed with acute undifferentiated leukaemia (AUL) in October 1999, after he said he consistently felt “under the weather ” with colds, large rashes and ear infections that were so severe he temporarily lost his hearing.‌AUL is an extremely rare form of blood cancer that occurs in just 1.34 cases per million people each year and little is known about its survival rates and best treatment options, according to Leukaemia UK. Without treatment, Jody’s parents were told he would only have two weeks to live, so he went through both chemotherapy and radiotherapy before doctors informed him that his best chance for survival was a bone marrow transplant.‌After testing Jody’s siblings – Jemma, 14, Jessie, 11, and Josh, eight – it was revealed Jessie was a “perfect” match and she said she was “so ready” to be able to provide life-saving bone marrow. Describing the moment the pair found out about the match, Jody told PA Real Life: “We were both at home when the phone rang and I answered it.“It was the consultant, Dr Prem Mahendra, and she said, ‘I’ve got some very good news for you – Jessie is a perfect match’.”View 3 ImagesJody was diagnosed at 17 with an ultra-rare form of leukemia that affects roughly one in every million people(Image: PA)‌“It’s crazy. Jessie was born with exactly what I needed to survive,” he added. Jessie, now 37, an owner of a creative agency a...