Edwina Bartholomew 'It was a REAL SHOCK'

THE SUNRISE PRESENTER EXPLAINS HOW SHE IS DEALING WITH HER BLOOD CANCER DIAGNOSIS

- Olivia Harrowell

When Channel 7 journalist Edwina Bartholomew went in for a routine health check last year, she never imagined it would change her life. Diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), her world was turned upside down in an instant.

As a mother of two young kids - Molly, 5, and Thomas, 3 - Bartholomew had long prioritised their health over her own. Feeling the need for a long-overdue check-in with her own body, she finally made an appointment to see a doctor for herself.

But the unexpected happened when tests revealed her white blood cells were abnormal, ultimately leading to her CML diagnosis. The news came completely out of nowhere as, Bartholomew explains, she “didn’t have any symptoms or any indication that something wasn't right”.

On August 29, the Sunrise presenter was announced as national ambassador for the Leukaemia Foundation ahead of the start of Blood Cancer Month in September. And now, she’s using her story to shine a light on the importance of early detection and self-care, and the unique challenges women face.

“I think if you asked a room full of women to put their hand up if they would take care of themselves first and foremost, above everyone else, very few people would put their hand up,” she says.