When Laura Coleman-Day’s husband Xander started feeling off, the couple chalked it up to the usual stuff passed around by toddlers at nursery. With a busy life and a young son, Amos, in tow, they never imagined anything serious was brewing.
“He kept catching bugs and had really bad night sweats, but we just thought it was normal,” Laura said. “So I told him, ‘Either stop moaning or go to a doctor.’” That trip to the GP turned into a whirlwind. Blood tests were ordered, and by that same evening, they were racing to A&E. Xander’s white blood cell count was sky-high, and things spiralled fast.
A fit and healthy RAF aerospace battle manager, Xander was hit with a devastating diagnosis – acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer. From that moment, everything changed. He was rushed into emergency chemotherapy, and soon after, tests showed he carried a genetic marker known as the Philadelphia chromosome. That meant a stem cell transplant would give him the best shot, The Sun reported.
By December 2022, there was a flicker of hope – Xander was in remission. The transplant followed in January. It wasn’t easy, but there was relief. Laura remembers feeling cautiously optimistic. “It was good news and we were both really happy,” she said. “But we thought it was just one step in what was going to be a long road to recovery.”
Christmas was spent in isolation, reminiscent of lockdown days, as they prepped for Xander’s return to hospital. Despite the seriousness of his condition, he remained hopeful and deliberately avoided dwelling on survival stats.
But hope faded quickly. By June 2023, things took a cruel turn. Xander developed graft-versus-host disease – a reaction where the donor’s immune cells attacked his own body. It caused multiple organ failure and infections. By February 2024, doctors told them there were no treatments left.
Xander’s only wish then was to be at home. Laura made that happen. Just hours after he left the hospital, Xander passed away peacefully in his bed, aged 36. “We fought all day to get him home,” Laura said. “And he passed away two or three hours later. He was where he wanted to be. He fought so hard. He stayed positive until the very end.”
Since losing her husband, Laura’s strength has been nothing short of incredible. She’s been running 12 marathons in 12 months in his memory, raising thousands for Anthony Nolan, the charity that helped find Xander a donor. And this Sunday, she’ll take on her 13th – the London Marathon – wearing her full bridal gown, train and all, because it would have been their sixth wedding anniversary.
“Xander would be telling me I’m completely bonkers,” she laughs. “And he wouldn’t be wrong.”
Now parenting three-year-old Amos on her own, Laura says he’s the reason she keeps going. “If it weren’t for Amos, I wouldn’t still be here. He’s just like his dad – in mannerisms, in temperament. He keeps me going every day.”
So far, Laura has raised more than £14,000 and she’s not slowing down. Her mission is simple – to help save future families from going through the pain she has.
Don’t Miss These:
- Prince William takes stern step for Kate Middleton ahead of major trip
- Junior Andre Melts Hearts With Two-Word Message to Girlfriend of One Year
- How Meghan Markle deals with ‘online hate’ and protects her mental health
- Keir Starmer Could Hand Kemi Badenoch a Surprise Win Without Realising
- Naga and Charlie Stun Viewers With Heartbreaking News No One Expected
