Caitlin went into remission after chemotherapy and later had a stem cell transplant. In May she was told the cancer had come back. Doctors said treatment options in the UK were unlikely to be curative. She is now pursuing treatment abroad most likely in the United States where costs could reach five hundred thousand pounds.
Her sister Grace spoke about the bond they share. She said being twins means you are not supposed to have one twin not be there. Caitlin added that they have gone through life together and she does not want their story to end here. The sisters have always been close and lived together at university.
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Remarkably they only discovered they were identical twins after Caitlin’s diagnosis. They had always believed they were fraternal twins because they developed in different amniotic sacs. Doctors found their markers were exactly the same while assessing Grace as a potential stem cell donor. The discovery complicated Caitlin’s treatment because Grace was no longer eligible to donate her stem cells due to their near identical DNA.
Before becoming ill Caitlin had planned to join the Army and train as an intelligence officer after graduating in July 2024. In March 2025 she developed a rash that would not clear with pharmacy creams. Blood tests followed and she was told to attend the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff the next day. She knew then the news was serious.
Caitlin achieved remission in May 2025 after two months of chemotherapy while waiting for an alternative donor. In August the cancer returned to her skin. She took part in a clinical trial in Manchester using menin inhibitors which successfully put her into complete remission. A stem cell transplant was planned. One week before the transplant date in December the cancer returned again. She still received the transplant after extra full body radiotherapy and was told she was in remission once more in January 2026.
Monthly bone marrow monitoring followed. The tests were set to decrease to quarterly from March but Caitlin pushed for an extra check in May. On that extra test they found the leukaemia had come back. She has since joined another drug trial for Bleximenib while waiting to see whether her body responds. Doctors have advised these treatments are not curative and predicted her current plan will help her survive for six more months.
A second stem cell transplant cannot be performed in the UK. Caitlin is now pursuing specialised leukaemia treatment in America or CAR-T cell therapy in China or Singapore. The sisters have set up a fundraising page hoping to raise five hundred thousand pounds to cover treatment and travel costs. Caitlin said at 24 she always assumed she had her whole life ahead of her. She still has places to see and memories she wants to make with the people she loves.
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