A woman has courageously shared the devastating moment doctors spotted something sinister going on in her blood. Clara was just a "happy" four-year-old child when she received heartbreaking news from the hospital which changed her life.

She remembered experiencing a few allergies but "nothing particularly worrying". However, one day her parents grew concerned about her health, prompting them to seek medical advice and arrange for tests to be carried out. Years later, Clara has bravely spoken about this life-changing period during a Times Radio segment for Cancer Research UK for Children and Young People. Now a clip from the interview was posted on Cancer Research's TikTok page, where the radio presenter asked: "So Clara, you were diagnosed with blood cancer when you were four. Can you tell us a little bit about what happened to you then?"

Clara remembered: "I was four years old. Normal, happy four-year-old child. Had a few allergies. Nothing particularly worrying.

"And it got to the point where my parents started worrying about little bit about the fact I was getting some bruises, and I was getting quite pale. So they took me to the doctor.

"As you do, no one really suspected anything malicious or really terrible. And the results came back, and it was a Friday night, and everything was fine.

"Saturday morning, they got a call from the hospital. Actually it looked as thought I had something more sinister going on in my blood."

Clara recounted how by Monday morning she required a blood transfusion, with doctors diagnosing her with acute myeloid leukaemia – a rapidly progressing cancer in which immature white blood cells flood the bone marrow, preventing the production of healthy blood cells.

Signs of the condition include tiredness, bleeding or bruising, recurrent infections, and pain in the bones. Treatment options encompass chemotherapy and stem cell transplants.

While it predominantly affects those aged 60 and above, roughly 100 children across the UK are diagnosed annually, with the precise cause remaining unclear, though genetic conditions such as Down's syndrome may heighten the risk.

Following Clara's diagnosis, she remained under hospital care for almost six months, prompting the radio host to ask: "What does a four-year-old do all day in hospital?"

She painted a picture of her hospital experience, which involved dancing with nurses or simply keeping them company. She added: "I think when you're at that age, you bond very quickly to the people around you.

"I didn't have a social life, so the nurses were my social life. The nurses were incredible. A lot of the children I made friends with on the wards didn't survive. So you either lie in bed feeling unwell, which is a reality a lot of the time.

"We make your own fun. We did trick-or-treating on Halloween, knocking on people's doors and waving through isolation windows. We did dance parties in the corridor when we were well enough.

"There was a playroom, something that you're not prepared for when you get really, really sick is that you can't really run anymore or walk anymore. It's kind of like being in a bad dream. You feel like you're running through treacle."

Now, following her recovery, Clara has taken up the role of a children's nurse, aiding young individuals navigate the challenges she once encountered.