'My husband thought he just had flu - but it was a deadly cancer'

Brendan felt weak for number of weeks before he visited GP

- ISABELLE BATES News Reporter

A MIDLAND widow how told how his beloved husband died after flu-like symptoms turned out to be deadly cancer.

Brendan Hulse-Lewis had begun to feel weak in October 2023 and was unable to lift the dogs at his grooming business.

The 53-year-old, from Walsall, made an appointment with his GP after being unable to shake the symptoms for around a month.

He was given a blood test and taken straight to A&E where he was later diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

Brendan's husband Brian said: "He was well built and strong but became so weak quite quickly.

"He thought he had the flu and called the doctor after about a month of symptoms but by the time the appointment came, he was almost too weak to move.

"The GP did a blood test and told us to go immediately to A&E."

Brian drove Brendan straight to Walsall Manor Hospital, where he underwent more tests.

He was then diagnosed with the aggressive blood cancer which needs urgent treatment.

Every year almost 3,100 people in the UK are diagnosed with AML, and nearly 80% of those diagnosed will not survive beyond five years, according to Leukaemia UK.