Caitlin’s family said she experienced a sudden and serious brain bleed which caused a rapid decline in her health
10:12, 17 Jun 2026Updated 10:14, 17 Jun 2026
Caitlin was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in April 2025(Image: Collect/PA Real Life)
A 24-year-old from Cardiff has died weeks after her family were told she had six months to live. Caitlin Leggett was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia – an aggressive cancer of the white blood cells – in April 2025, and her identical twin had been fundraising for a potentially curative treatment abroad.
However, just two weeks after the fundraiser was set up, her family said she had experienced a sudden and serious brain bleed which led to several strokes and a rapid decline in her health.
On the Facebook page, Saving Caitlin, set up to document her progress, Caitlin’s family wrote: “Dear friends, followers and supporters of our campaign,
“We regret to inform you that in the last few days, Caitlin experienced a sudden and serious brain bleed, followed by a series of strokes which led to a rapid decline in her health.
“Surrounded by the love and care of her family, Caitlin passed away peacefully at 02.42 on 15th June, aged 24.”
Caitlin’s family also said they would share further details about her funeral and the future of the Saving Caitlin fundraising campaign in due course. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here.
Caitlin was diagnosed with leukaemia after she developed a rash that wouldn’t go away(Image: Collect/PA Real Life)
Caitlin graduated from the University of Bristol in July 2024 and had plans to join the Army where she hoped to train as an intelligence officer. However, before her planned requisite medical assessment in April 2025 she developed a rash which wouldn’t go away despite using generic creams from the pharmacy.
A few weeks later she went to her GP who ordered some blood tests to investigate what she thought may be a virus. The next day Caitlin was told to report to the Llewellyn Teenage Cancer Trust unit at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff where she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
Following months of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in December 2025, Caitlin achieved complete remission. However, in May 2026, doctors devastatingly found the cancer had returned and the treatment options available to her in the UK were unlikely to be curative.
After finding out the leukaemia had returned once more, doctors told Caitlin and her family she had six months to live on her current treatment plan. Determined to fight the diagnosis they began fundraising for £500,000 to pursue treatment abroad.
The 24-year-old was considering specialised leukaemia treatment in America or CAR-T cell therapy, a type of immunotherapy, in China or Singapore, both of which would cost hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Grace has quit her job in Bristol to be closer to her family(Image: Collect/PA Real Life)
Writing on the gofundme page which has raised over £120,000, Caitlin’s identical twin sister Grace wrote: “Caitlin is choosing to live in the hope of a bright future that she and every young person deserves. Time is so precious, and Caitlin’s only chance of a cure is to raise funds to support overseas medical treatment.”
Caitlin told PA Real Life just a week ago: “At 24, I always assumed I had my whole life ahead of me. There are so many things I still want to do, places I want to see, and memories I want to make with the people I love.
“What I would miss most isn’t one particular event, it’s the chance to keep living an ordinary life with the people I love and growing older alongside my twin sister.
“Those are the things that matter most to me, and that’s why I’m doing everything I can to find another treatment option. I don’t want to miss out on the future we always thought we’d share together.”
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