My ITP Story by Adam Metcalfe

When I was four years old, I suffered from quite an extreme form of ITP which almost killed me. It became very dangerous at an extremely alarming rate and saw me rushed into hospital due to losing a lot of blood. What started out as random bruising all over my skin alongside fatigue resulted in me requiring a life-saving emergency platelet blood transfusion. Had it not been for the quick thinking of my Mum and hospital staff on the night, I would not be here today.

There are lots of different forms of ITP which affect both children and adults, and whilst mine was aggressive at the time, luckily it has had no major impact on my health and I am no more at risk of developing further symptoms in the future as anyone else. The symptoms that I do have to live with however are a weakened immune system and fatigue, and as a person who loves to be active and keep fit, it is a daily battle. People would describe me as a typical Aries, and anyone who knows an Aries know that we don’t like to sit still! Whilst fatigue can be frustrating at times, I do however feel extremely grateful and lucky enough to have survived on that night. My life could have been cut so short at just four years old because of ITP, therefore it is vitally important to spread awareness of this lesser-known condition. I now treat everyday as a bonus and live with ITP like a badge of honour, because I am still here and have grown stronger through overcoming what could have been a fateful night.