07 Apr 2026

“To see my mum and dad cross the line will be a very, very special moment that I will never, ever forget”

Charlie with his parents and wife

A shock leukaemia diagnosis for their 27-year-old son Charlie has prompted Sean and Rachel Morgan to run the London Marathon for Leukaemia UK, a fundraising effort that they’re hoping will reach an incredible £40k on the big day.

Charlie was enjoying life in Hong Kong, having moved there in 2024 with his wife Danielle, on a rugby playing contract and working within financial technology sector as an analyst. Sean and Rachel flew out to celebrate Christmas with their son and daughter-in-law. But just one month after returning back to the UK, Charlie rang them to tell them some worrying news.

“He’d been rushed to hospital after having a blood test and discovering his white cell count had gone through the roof,” said Sean, 58, who is the Head of the Senior School at a large independent school in Solihull in the West Midlands. “He’d been having some night sweats and losing weight, although he was still very fit, but Danielle pushed him to get it checked. He was told almost immediately that he had a form of leukaemia and rang us at work to tell us the awful news. Rachel and I quickly booked a flight and were back with him in Hong Kong again 36 hours later. At the end of week one, the presence of the Philadelphia gene was confirmed and on February 4, 2025, he was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML).”

It was just seven months after Charlie’s marriage to Danielle, and five months after moving to Hong Kong to start their new and exciting life together. Only 80 cases of CML are diagnosed in the UK each year in Charlie’s age group.

Charlie at his wedding

“Clearly we were all devastated in that moment. Hearing the word ‘cancer’ attributed to your child definitely stops you in your tracks. We spent three weeks with him. The first week they were confirming the leukaemia type. The second week they were deciding on treatment, and we got some second opinions from medical contacts in the UK and chose 50mg of Dasatanib daily. The third week was monitoring the impact it had on his white blood cells and I’m so pleased to say that Charlie almost immediately got some colour back in his face and responded well.”

Charlie and Danielle decided to relocate back to the UK to continue treatment. They now live in Chiswick and Charlie is under the care of the haematology department of the Hammersmith Hospital. He is working, travelling, exercising and socialising, whilst his blood is being continually monitored.
“If you told me when Danielle and I touched down in Hong Kong in October 2025, that three months later I would be lying in the foetal position, under the weight of two nurses, having a bone marrow extraction to determine which type of leukaemia I had, I would have eaten my hat,” said Charlie.

“Just over a year on from that moment, I’d say I can finally reflect properly and make sense of it all. ‘In sickness and in

Charlie with his parents and brother

health’ was put to the test almost immediately and Danielle stepped up to the plate like a prime Babe Ruth. I was never in doubt of that, of course. Mum and Dad too. First class parenting in the face of adversity. Speechless, of course but kicked into stride immediately, even though they had just touched down in Hong Kong. I will give my brother Harry a shout out too – he was/is/always will be great despite being roughly 6,500 miles away in Seattle at time of my diagnosis.

“The staff of QE Hospital Hong Kong were direct in their delivery but their care was immense from the moment I stepped inside. The team covering my interim care were exceptionally thorough, supportive and an all-round pleasure to be around. And the team at Hammersmith – a group I will only become more familiar with – were extremely supportive, leaving me with an overwhelming feeling that it is the right place for me to be!”

Charlie in hospital

“Rachel was already training for the London Marathon in 2025 when Charlie was diagnosed,” added Sean. “Of course, our world was momentarily turned upside down and she couldn’t commit to the training so deferred to 2026. I hadn’t got a place but was doing the training with her, so we decided to do the 2026 Marathon together and I was lucky enough to get one of the Leukaemia UK charity places. Our family has been incredibly struck by the care, compassion and expertise shown by medics at home and abroad since leukaemia came into our world and want to pay that back and support the incredible work of Leukaemia UK.”

Charlie’s parents fundraising for Leukaemia UK

So far Sean and Rachel have raised an amazing £30,000 from their fundraising Team Morgan is fundraising for Leukaemia UK. They quickly surpassed their original target of £2,700, setting a new target for £10k, then £20K, then £30k – but Sean and Rachel are now very hopeful of reaching a massive £40k.

“Just like leukaemia, this is a challenge we never imagined we would take on. And it’s fair to say that we are not runners! Walkers, yes. Cyclists, occasionally. Swimmers, on holiday….. But a marathon was always one of those ‘maybe one day’ ideas – the kind you never truly think (or hope!) will come true. January 2025 changed everything – and sparked a real motivation for both of us to tackle a big challenge head on, and right now.

“We are both in complete awe of our son. From the very beginning, he has faced this journey with strength, humour, and courage that humbles us every single day. We couldn’t be prouder of him, and also of Danielle – who has been extraordinary throughout and has a place to run in next year’s London Marathon for Leukaemia Care.

“Luckily, CML today is very treatable, thanks to the invention of targeted therapy tablets (TKI’s). We are eternally grateful that Charlie’s condition was caught early, that targeted treatments now exist, and that continuous developments in CML research, including the work funded by Leukaemia UK, continue apace.”

Charlie playing rugby

“Life is good right now,” said Charlie. “Business as usual in many ways. I typically don’t tend to dwell on things so I’ll continue to look ahead and hope for continued good results. And if, for whatever reason, down the line, the news isn’t so good, I’ll deal with it alongside the amazing people I’ve just talked about.

“2026 London Marathon runners – you rock. 26.2 miles is a huge challenge, and I will be in awe of every participant. To see my mum and dad cross the line will be a very, very special moment that I will never, ever forget. The incredible amount of money raised by their campaigns will be in very safe hands with Leukaemia UK and I look forward to hearing of ongoing developments in leukaemia research and support for years to come.”