Young woman, 21, 'felt tired all the time' – just months later she was dead (2025)

Hannah Elmes, 21, from Gloucestershire, sadly died after being diagnosed with leukaemia last year. Her childhood friend has revealed the common symptom which made her go to the doctors

A young woman who felt tired all the time tragically died just months after she went to the doctors and was given a shock diagnosis.

Hannah Elmes, 21, from Gloucestershire, went to the doctors to discuss her fatigue and was found to have leukaemia in February last year. But just months after her diagnosis, she passed away from the devastating cancer, which affects blood forming tissue. She sadly died in September.

Her best friend has shared the heartbreaking moment his mother called him about the diagnosis. Harry Ashcroft, 21, who had known Hannah since they were little, said: “I remember my mum called me and told me on the phone and I messaged Hannah not expecting a response, but she replied. I couldn't believe it."

Harry, who studies in Liverpool for University, is now set to walk 180 miles from Liverpool to Gloucestershire in Hannah's memory, reports Liverpool Echo. Paying tribute, Harry said: "She was very funny, sarcastic, she was warm, she smiled a lot. She lit up any room she was in.”

Harry said he'd been friends with Hannah from the moment they could walk until the day she died. He said: “Both our families had moved into the road we lived on around the same time, when we were really young. We lived four doors down from each other.

“I don't know if we became friends because it was a village where we lived, but there were five or six families in our cul-de-sac and we’d all play out together. Both mine and Hannah’s families were friends, her and mine siblings were all friends then we were best friends.

“We’d spend weekends, summer holidays together, I would see her all the time. She was the longest friend I've ever had. We were friends since we could both walk and we were friends until she died.”

Harry shared some of his favourite memories with Hannah. He said: “One of our favourite memories was one year when it snowed, we were only 13 or 14 and because we lived in a village when it snowed you were snowed in - I remember thinking of it at the funeral - we went for a massive walk around the village, I remember it so well.

“I also remember in the summers when we were kids we used to cycle up and down the street, one biking and the other pulling the other on a skate board.

“I knew her for so long it's hard to pin point my favourite memories, we have so many. I’d always see her on New Year’s Eve, our families would spend it together. We were just best friends for as long as I can remember, we were always together when we were kids.”

He added: “Although time passed and we all grew up, Hannah remained my oldest mate, and even after the days of “playing out” stopped, one of us would always make that little walk every once in a while, just to catch up.”

Following his friend's death Harry has decided to take on a huge challenge in memory of Hannah and walk from his home in Liverpool, which he moved to for university to Hannah’s home in South Cerney in Gloucestershire, where they are both from.

He will take on the challenge and walk 180 miles on June 23, 2025, on Hannah’s birthday. He said: “Hannah was six months older than me, this will be the first time I have ever been older than her which is a weird thought.

“I’m sure Hannah would call me absolutely mental for doing this, but I feel that’s all the more reason to push myself to do it.”

He will be raising money for Young Lives vs Cancer, a charity chosen by Hannah’s family. You visit and donate to Harry’s fundraiser in memory of Hannah here.