Sandra Breene, 57, is fundraising for charity Leukaemia UK
Sandra and Alan Breene in their Leukaemia UK shirts(Image: leukaemiauk.org.uk)
A woman from East Yorkshire is taking on this year’s London Marathon less than a year after having life-saving treatment for leukaemia. Sandra Breene, 57, will be one of a number of runners from all over the country who will take part in the iconic event, on Sunday, April 26, to raise money for charity Leukaemia UK and support its work to stop leukaemia devastating lives.
In May 2022, Sandra was a regular runner and enjoying a busy high-level career as the president of consumer care at chemical company Croda. “I had a routine BUPA health assessment provided by my employer,” said Sandra.
“I received a call a couple of days later to say that my white blood cell count was exceptionally high – around 80k vs the normal range of 4 to 11k. I was told that leukaemia could be a possibility. But I had no symptoms.”
Over the next six weeks, Sandra was given further tests and in June 2022 she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). This is a type of blood cancer and the most common leukaemia diagnosed in adults.
Over 4,720 people are diagnosed with CLL in the UK every year. CLL typically develops slowly, and many patients are diagnosed through a routine blood test for something else, without experiencing symptoms.
“The diagnosis was a relief,” Sandra said. “The consultant told me there were many great treatments but no cure, and that some people never needed treatment but that it was likely I would.”
Sandra was placed on the “watch and wait” list and given blood tests every three months. Unfortunately, the tests showed her CLL was slowly progressing, but Sandra did not let it get in the way of doing the things she loved most, like travelling and running.
She eventually had to take a break from running when she snapped her ACL [a ligament in the knee] on a skiing trip. After a year’s recovery, she returned to running but noticed she was feeling unusually tired and short of breath.
Blood tests showed her white blood count had risen and her haemoglobin levels had started to drop into the “area of concern”. It was time to start treatment.
Sandra was given chemotherapy tablets and immunotherapy administered intravenously for 48 weeks. “The first few weeks were intense, travelling back and forth to Leeds most days for infusions taking six to eight hours.
“I was tired but otherwise all went incredibly smoothly. The nursing team said they had rarely experienced someone with so little side effects, so I was very lucky.
“About a month into treatment, I felt so much better that I decided I would attempt a run. I did 5km straight away and felt brilliant, I was so happy,” said Sandra.
She finished treatment on August 12, 2025 and is now back on “watch and wait” with tests every three months. She was so thrilled to be able to take up running again that she decided it was time to set herself a big challenge – to run the London Marathon for Leukaemia UK with husband Alan, 67.
“It is a formidable challenge,” she said, “especially for us ‘non-youngsters’, but every step we take will be fuelled by our determination to make a difference. I am lucky.
“The revolutionary treatments I received wouldn’t have been possible without research. Yet my situation is a stark reminder that many are not so fortunate.
“We are running to ensure that others facing this diagnosis have the same chance for a full life that I have been given. I want anyone who sponsors me for the marathon to know they are writing a hopeful chapter for the next person who hears the word ‘leukaemia’.”
Sandra and her husband Alan are hoping to raise an incredible £25,000 for Leukaemia UK. Hanna Chorley, community and challenge events manager at Leukaemia UK, said: “We are so grateful to Sandra and to all of our amazing runners taking on the London Marathon for us.
“We cannot wait to cheer them on. With the help of incredible supporters like Sandra, together we can continue to fund groundbreaking research into kinder, more effective treatments for leukaemia.”
Every day, 28 people in the UK are diagnosed with leukaemia. Its symptoms can include fatigue, fever, unusual bruising or bleeding, and repeated infections. Only half of leukaemia patients live longer than five years after their diagnosis.
Leukaemia UK hopes its supporters’ dedicated efforts will raise around £140,000 to fund more research to stop leukaemia devastating lives. The charity will have a cheer point for its 56 runners on the iconic Tower Bridge.
To donate to Sandra’s fundraiser, visit justgiving.com/page/sandra-alan13
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