'I thought my bruises were from playing netball - I could never have imagined the truth'

A keen netball player, Lynsey Gregory was used to taking tumbles and getting bruises all over her body.

But when huge purple marks on her arms and legs wouldn’t go away, worried family members urged her to get them checked out – leading to a diagnosis that would change her life forever.

Mum-of-two Lynsey, from the Winstanley area of Wigan, had just given birth to her daughter Tilly when the strange injuries appeared on her body.

It wasn’t until she visited her GP for a routine appointment with her eldest child, Theo, that she decided to mention the bruising to her doctor.

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“I was playing netball and in one game I fell over,” the 38-year-old told the Manchester Evening News. “It wasn’t unusual to fall over in netball, but I banged my arm and my leg and the bruising came up immediately. It was all over my arm and very dark on my legs.

“I also had red dots all over my legs. I didn’t think much of it. I thought, ‘I’ve probably done too much tonight’ and left it.

“I went for a routine appointment with my little boy at the doctors. [My mum] said I should mention the bruising because it had still not gone after a week.”

Lynsey was sent for blood tests following the appointment in January 2019 and returned home while she awaited the results.

In the middle of the night, she received a call from emergency doctors asking her to come in for a blood transfusion straight away.

While there, special needs teacher Lynsey was asked a list of questions while doctors attempted to figure out what was causing the bizarre marks.

Along with the blood transfusion, Lynsey also had a blood marrow test. Tragically, the results confirmed her worst fears