Croydon father dies months after leukaemia diagnosis

Tony Williams, a 62-year-old father of three from Croydon, died on November 12, 2025, just four months after receiving a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukaemia. Mr Williams, who worked as head of IT, had initially attributed his growing fatigue to demanding work hours and a stressful family period.

Following a family holiday in Spain during the summer of 2025, Mr Williams' family insisted he undergo medical tests. A blood test and bone marrow biopsy at Croydon University Hospital on July 18, 2025, led to his diagnosis of the aggressive blood and bone marrow cancer.

Treatment and Complications

Mr Williams began chemotherapy at the Royal Marsden Hospital. The initial treatment appeared effective, reducing his leukaemia levels from 70 per cent to 15 per cent. However, a subsequent, more intensive course of chemotherapy proved unsuccessful. His condition worsened, and he developed a lung infection and suffered a collapsed lung. Medical staff indicated that if the infection had cleared, he might have been eligible for a clinical trial.

His daughter, Zara Williams, 23, described the period as a "weird nightmare." She told MyLondon: "At the time, I just couldn't wrap my head around how this was the result and I think I just kept believing there had to be something. I just really, really couldn't, like, understand how there was nothing else that could be done."

The family were informed in early November 2025 that Mr Williams had approximately a month left to live. He passed away five days later, on November 12, 2025.

Charity Support

Zara Williams is now supporting Blood Cancer UK's Trial Treat Beat campaign. The initiative aims to fund ground-breaking clinical trials to improve survival rates for individuals with aggressive blood cancers. Helen Rowntree, CEO of Blood Cancer UK, stated that the campaign could "double the survival rate for thousands of people across the UK."