Teen who went to dentist with toothache told he could have 3 weeks left to live due to 'surreal' diagnosis
A visit to the dentist led to a life-saving diagnosis for a teenager who had gone a month believing he just had a toothache.
Ethan Harrison, 19, had been experiencing pain in his top and bottom right wisdom teeth in May 2026, and booked an appointment at the dentist to have them looked at.
At first Ethan, who works a forklift driver, had thought it might be infection and reasoned he would probably need the wisdom teeth removing, which is unpleasant but not uncommon.
But when he went in for his appointment, the dentist spotted something which saw Ethan immediately referred over to his GP for a follow-up appointment.
Advert
The dentist noticed that Ethan had a swollen lymph node, and after seeing his GP he was given a blood test which confirmed a shocking diagnosis, leading to him being rushed to the Chesterfield Royal Hospital to immediately start treatment.
'If he hadn’t come in he would have only had a few weeks to live'
Ethan, from South Wingfield in the UK, was given the news that he had acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a type of cancer which affects the bone marrow and the blood.
Doctors later said that if he hadn't received treatment four days after the dentist appointment, the 19-year-old could have had as little as three weeks to live.
Now, Ethan is recovering from the emergency treatment in hospital, where he's been since May 17.
Ethan's mom, Roxy Bond, 37, said that they feel 'incredibly lucky' that the cancer was spotted.
"When the diagnosis came it was very surreal and just very, very unexpected," she said. "The team at the hospital said if he hadn’t come in he would have only had a few weeks to live."
The mom added: "It felt like a story you’d hear about someone else, not your son."
Roxy described how her son had a toothache for around a month prior to the appointment, as well as some other symptoms, including shortness of breath, a fever, and a swollen lymph node which had started after he traveled to Cyprus on holiday.
"We just put it all down to the tooth thinking it might be infected," said Roxy. "But then the dentist saw the swollen lymph node and said he needed to be looked at by a doctor.
“We went to the GP, they did a blood test and the results came back 12 hours later. They said his levels were all over the place and we were told we needed to get to A&E immediately.
“We were rushed through at the hospital because the doctors and nurses already knew it was probably leukemia."
Roxy explained that Ethan is expected to have four rounds of chemotherapy after starting his first one and is likely to be in hospital for about a month.
"It could be about a year before Ethan returns to full health, depending on how his body reacts and he’ll be in the hospital more than he’s home during that time," she said.
Roxy added: "He’s never been in a hospital before and now he’s having bone marrow biopsies, PICC lines inserted and constant blood tests.
"He’s reacted so far with a sense of humor, nothing’s phased him. All he’ll say is, ‘What an inconvenience'.
"We’re a very positive family and he’s been brilliant. I’m so proud of how he’s handling it."
What are the symptoms of acute myeloid leukemia?
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of AML can include:
- Fever
- Pain, commonly found in the bones, back and stomach
- Tiredness
- Paleness or a change in skin color
- Frequent infections
- Bruising easily
- Bleeding with no clear cause, such as in the nose or gums
- Shortness of breath
The sites notes: "Acute myelogenous leukemia symptoms are like those of many more-common conditions, such as infections. The healthcare professional may check for those causes first."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Kit Roberts