Young Nurse’s Haunting Text to Friend While Struggling to Breathe
A young nurse’s eerie message foreshadows her battle with leukemia and a rare syndrome
Alisha Allen, Melbourne, Australia, Leukemia, Health, Hospital
Melbourne: Just before Christmas, Alisha Allen was having a nice holiday in the Blue Mountains with her partner Jamie. But then, at just 23, she started feeling a bit off.
She works in the oncology ward at Alfred Hospital and had been feeling tired and breathless. Her aunt, Sal, shared that Alisha even texted a friend jokingly, saying, “wouldn’t it be funny if I had leukaemia?” It’s like she had a weird feeling about what was coming.
Things took a serious turn when Alisha went to the emergency room after experiencing chest pains. Doctors found her liver wasn’t functioning right, and her white blood cell count was alarmingly low.
Just five days after that haunting text, she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and rushed to Penrith Hospital. On December 20, she was flown to Melbourne and admitted to the very ward where she works.
Then, things got even more complicated. Her behavior changed, and doctors discovered she had Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare syndrome that makes the immune system attack the body. It was a lot for her family to take in.
Her aunt explained that it was shutting down her organs, and the inflammation was severe. Alisha was placed in a coma for eight days to protect her brain and woke up on New Year’s Day, but she was still really unwell.
Her family is worried about her recovery. They’re hoping she’ll bounce back, but the situation is tough. On top of the leukaemia, this complication is just brutal.
Alisha started chemotherapy, but it messed with her digestive system. Now, doctors are looking at an expensive immunotherapy treatment that her family is trying to fundraise for. They’re facing a lot of uncertainty, and every day seems to bring new challenges.