Bangor dad Robert Neill had no idea that a deadly illness lay behind his seemingly harmless habit
Robert Neill, with his wife Allison(Image: SWNS)
A businessman thought he was paying the price for a hectic spell at work when he started feeling so tired that he had to take a nap every day — but the real cause turned out to be a devastating fatal illness.
Bangor wine importer Robert Neill started feeling exhausted in January 2024 after a strong Christmas trading period, and he assumed he’d simply pushed himself too hard. The 55-year-old decided to take some time away from the business to recover.
However, after being checked out, he was stunned to learn that he actually had acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), which is a blood and bone marrow cancer.
He said: “I’d burnt myself out over the years running my own business. If there’s one blessing in disguise, it’s that I’ve learned to rest. Rest is half the battle.
“I went through what felt like a near-death experience, and it didn’t frighten me. You appreciate what’s really important, and the best things in life are free.”
Robert Neill undergoing treatment(Image: SWNS)
At first, taking a break seemed like a sensible response to a busy year and getting older. He said: “I thought, well, it’s January, we’ve had a very successful December, and I’m no spring chicken anymore.”
But instead of improving, Robert’s health kept sliding. He was knocked back by a chest infection, then another, and the tiredness became a daily feature. By February, he says he couldn’t make it through the afternoon without sleeping. He said: “It became a serious, almost addictive habit.” With no obvious warning signs like unusual bruising or bleeding, he put it down to lingering illness and age catching up.
The moment that changed his thinking came when he arrived early for a work appointment and sat in his car. Expecting a short rest, he shut his eyes — and woke up three hours later, having slept through the meeting completely.
He said: “I thought, right, no, something’s definitely wrong here.”
Robert could not stop dozing off during the day(Image: SWNS)
A visit to his GP led to blood tests which showed his counts were low. The initial explanation was that infection can temporarily knock them down, but as he continued to get ill and didn’t rebound as expected, repeat tests were arranged every few weeks.
Then a call from a friend in his 70s added to the worry. The friend had just been diagnosed with multiple myelomam, and as he described the symptoms he’d experienced, Robert realised the list sounded uncomfortably familiar.
He said: “That obviously raised the alarm bell with me as well.”
Robert was referred to haematology and underwent a bone marrow biopsy at the end of September 2024. When the results were ready, he was asked to come back in and bring his wife, Allison — and they were told he had AML.
Treatment began quickly. Robert underwent intensive chemotherapy and spent five weeks in hospital over Christmas 2024, returning home on New Year ’s Eve. Tests showed his cancer had gone into remission, but doctors warned it was likely to return without a stem cell transplant.
Robert on the road to recovery(Image: SWNS)
In March 2025, after another round of conditioning chemotherapy, Robert received donor stem cells. He had a difficult period of isolation during recovery, and later required a further “top-up” in August 2025.
Following that, he developed graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) affecting his liver and spent almost five weeks in hospital while the condition was brought under control. He remains on a targeted medication, but says he is now cancer-free and has been able to return to work.
Looking back, Robert says the experience has changed how he approaches life, and he has a message for anyone facing the shock of a new diagnosis.
His advice is: “Embrace it. Of course you’ll be fearful and nervous – you’re being thrown into a world you never thought you’d be in. But stay positive, and befriend as many patients and staff as you can. One day at a time.”
Colin Dyer, chief executive of Leukaemia Care, said Robert’s story highlights how easily symptoms can be dismissed. He said: “Robert’s journey shows just how easily the early signs of leukaemia can be mistaken for the ordinary wear and tear of a busy life – tiredness, a stubborn chest infection, needing a bit more sleep. It’s precisely that which makes leukaemia so hard to catch early.
“That’s why our Spot Leukaemia campaign exists, to help people recognise when persistent, unexplained symptoms are worth a simple blood test. We’re enormously grateful to Robert for sharing his story so openly, and we wish him continued good health.”