Woman, 24, saved by blood test after overlooking cancer symptoms

A woman has revealed how a blood test on her late father’s birthday saved her life – after she ‘overlooked’ the classic symptoms of blood cancer for months. Nella Pignatelli, 24, from Barnet in London, was diagnosed with B-cell acute leukemia in July 2021 aged 22 after feeling fatigued and out of breath, something she believed was down to long Covid.

The student also thought the bruises all over her body were simply due to her clumsiness – and so, never consulted a doctor about her symptoms. However, because her father Pierre (pictured left) sadly died aged 50 of a heart attack, she was eventually contacted by her GP for a blood test – on what would’ve been her late parent’s birthday – to give an indication of her heart health. Nella (pictured right) was shocked to find the results showed her bone marrow cells were 95 percent cancerous. Had the cancer been left for longer, she could’ve died, and believes her father must have been ‘looking out for her.’

She’s endured four cycles of intensive chemotherapy over the course of eight months and is now on daily oral chemotherapy – but hopes to finish treatment completely in December. Recalling the start of her symptoms, Nella said: ‘Around January 2021, I started to feel really strange, I was unwell for months. I was really tired, exhausted, but as I was really busy, I put it down to starting a new job. ‘Then one day walking along the street, I started to get out of breath for no reason, I thought perhaps it was long COVID, I couldn’t think of any other reason.’

Nella also suffered two nosebleeds lasting more than 50 minutes, fell down the stairs at her home after becoming dizzy, was covered in bruises and so confused that she couldn’t find the tube station to make her way back from work. ‘I had a rational explanation for everything and because all of these things happened in isolation, I didn’t see that many of these are classic symptoms of blood cancer,’ Nella admitted. ‘And neither did my friends and family. You don’t think for a minute that you’ll get cancer at 22.’

Her GP eventually suggested for Nella and her brother to take a blood test to check their heart health due to their father’s death. ‘Looking back now I wonder if my Dad was looking out for me in some way, especially as the blood test happened on his birthday,’ said Nella. ‘Because when the results came back it showed my blood was abnormal. ‘It was later found that in fact my bone marrow cells were 95 per cent cancerous. If it had been left much longer, I would have died. Pictured: Nella with her family. 

‘I’ll never forget the call I got from the lab that tested my blood, they asked, “how are you functioning?” and told me to go straight to A&E. I was speechless.’ Heartbreakingly, Nella found out she had cancer without her mother Nena (pictured right) by her side, due to the coronavirus rules at the time. She recalled: ‘The news was given really bluntly, and I was unable to process it and found myself crying in a cubicle with no privacy, asking the doctor if this was a dream multiple times.’

Nella was transferred from her local hospital for treatment at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) on T13, a unit for young people funded by Teenage Cancer Trust. During the most intensive part of the chemotherapy, Nella and her mother were unable to leave her private room for five weeks, due to her low immune system and the coronavirus pandemic. ‘My mum and I renamed the private bathroom in the room “the cafe,”‘ explained Nella. ‘And would take drinks in there for a change of scene and a chat. It sounds weird but it allowed us to escape the hospital life and gave us some normality.’

Despite her ordeal, Nella graduated with a degree in Global Health, and is now studying for a masters in Global Health Management. Last year, a ‘proud’ Nella was asked to open a new Teenage Cancer Trust unit for young people with blood cancers at UCLH funded by Morgan Stanley. She was joined by the Duchess of York and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. ‘It was a real honor meeting members of The Royal Family, they were really interested to hear what I’ve been through and really cared,’ said Nella. She is also working with Teenage Cancer Trust to raise awareness of the five signs and symptoms of cancer in young people.

‘Awareness of the main signs and symptoms is really low, which is why it’s important to me to share my story and I hope it inspires people to educate themselves about what to look out for,’ said Nella. ‘I think when people do become worried about their health, they can feel like they are a hypochondriac or wasting a GP’s time if they go to them with concerns. But please trust your gut instinct and don’t be afraid to seek help. A simple 10-minute blood test explained my months of suffering. You know your body better than anyone else – and no, you’re not exaggerating.’ It comes after Teenage Cancer Trust revealed less than half of those aged 18-24 can identify any of the five main warning signs of cancer in young people. Almost half (47 percent) admit they’ve put off visiting the GP with health concerns, with over a third stating it’s because they are ‘too scared’ to find out what’s wrong with them.

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