Kate Robertson was travelling when her fiancé called her to tell her he had been diagnosed with leukaemia.
Kate’s fiancé Mike Brandon was given 60 days to find a transplant for a bone marrow transplant, so Kate caught the first flight home to be by his side.
When none of Mike’s immediate family tested as a positive match for the transplant, the situation seemed out of their control.
But after campaigning relentlessly, the couple have finally found a suitable donor to save Mike’s life.
Kate told the MailOnline: ‘It’s been an incredibly difficult time so the relief we’re feeling is overwhelming.’
‘We know we have a rocky road ahead as a transplant is a serious procedure, but knowing there is a good match for Mike is a fantastic boost that we desperately needed.’
Kate and Mike’s campaign saw a huge increase in people registering to be bone marrow donors.
‘Knowing that there is so much support out there and to be able to visibly see the results of what we are trying to achieve has lifted everyone’s spirits,’ she says.
‘The campaign was never just about finding a donor for Mike,’ Kate added. ‘Even at the outset we wanted to help make sure that there will be matching donors for other people going through the same agonising wait - other people’sbrothers and sisters, sons and daughters, mums and dads, and lifelong partners.’
Now that the future looks a little brighter for the couple, they can now start thinking about their wedding plans.
‘Pre-diagnosis he didn’t get too excited about wedding plans anyway, you know what boys are like,’ said Kate. ‘I’ve told him that until we get past the transplant, we don’t have to mention it.’