Caitlin Leggett, 24, has been given six months to live after her acute myeloid leukaemia returned. She is pursuing potentially curative treatment abroad, with costs potentially reaching £500,000. The thought of leaving her identical twin sister, Grace, is described as 'unthinkable' by both sisters.
This story highlights the devastating impact of aggressive cancers and the financial burden of seeking life-saving treatment abroad, particularly for young individuals. It underscores the emotional toll on families, especially identical twins facing the prospect of separation due to illness.
Caitlin Leggett, a 24-year-old from Cardiff, has been given a prognosis of six months to live after her acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) returned for a third time. The aggressive cancer of the white blood cells was initially diagnosed in April 2025, with a persistent rash being the sole indicator. Following chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant, the cancer returned in May 2025, and doctors have indicated that curative treatment options within the UK are limited.
Caitlin is now exploring potentially curative treatments abroad, likely in the United States, which could cost up to £500,000, including associated expenses. Her identical twin sister, Grace, described the prospect of living without Caitlin as 'unthinkable,' a sentiment echoed by Caitlin herself, who stated, 'We've gone through life together and I don't want our story to end here.'
The sisters, who have always been exceptionally close, only discovered they were identical twins after Caitlin's diagnosis. Previously believed to be fraternal twins due to developing in separate amniotic sacs, medical assessments for Grace as a potential stem cell donor revealed their DNA markers were identical. This discovery, while surprising, complicated Caitlin's treatment as Grace was no longer eligible to donate stem cells.
Before her illness, Caitlin had planned to join the Army. Her initial symptoms in March 2025, a rash that did not respond to pharmacy creams, led to blood tests and a subsequent diagnosis at the Teenage Cancer Trust unit. After achieving remission in May 2025, the cancer reappeared in August. She participated in a clinical trial and underwent a stem cell transplant in December 2025, achieving remission again in January 2026. However, subsequent monitoring revealed the leukaemia had returned.
Caitlin is currently undergoing another drug trial, Bleximenib, while awaiting results. Doctors have advised that further treatment options, including a second stem cell transplant, are not available in the UK and that her current path offers an estimated six months of survival. The sisters have launched a fundraising campaign to gather the £500,000 needed for specialised treatments abroad, such as CAR-T cell therapy in China or Singapore, or other leukaemia treatments in the US.