Man can’t explain bruises on his body—blood test reveals devastating truth

A millennial dad who tried to explain the subtle symptoms he experienced had no idea just how much his health was deteriorating, only for a blood test to reveal the horrifying truth.

For several weeks, Reese Willard, 40, could not shake the mounting differences in his body. It started with fatigue, and despite his best efforts to go to bed earlier, no amount of sleep seemed to help.

Over time, Reese, who resides in Dallas, Texas with his wife Sarah Willard, began experiencing night sweats, petechia and rapid weight loss. Sarah, 39, told Newsweek that her husband was “quietly deteriorating for months,” but each symptom was “subtle enough” to explain away.

When Reese initially showed his wife the cluster of red dots on his side, she pressed a glass to the skin to see if it blanched. She took a photo and put the resultant image into ChatGPT which said it looked like petechia, caused by bleeding from broken capillaries.

The couple was not overly concerned by that, however, when bruises appeared on Reese’s body six weeks later, that was the final straw.

“He hiked 27 miles and came back with fist-sized bruises all over his body, but they were way beyond what that level of activity would have caused,” Sarah said. “They were all up and down his legs, arms, and torso.”

As Reese loves the outdoors, it wasn’t unusual for him to develop one or two cuts or bruises. Although this time around, it was clear to Sarah that the situation was much worse.

Concerned, Sarah returned to the previous ChatGPT thread about her husband’s symptoms and added that he now had “giant bruises everywhere.” The response was that he needed to get checked out immediately.

“ChatGPT was able to recognize the gravity of the situation from the photos. We are so thankful for that because his platelets ended up being 5,000 and he was at risk of catastrophic bleeding,” Sarah said.

Reese went to the emergency room, but he was nonetheless optimistic that doctors would figure out the problem and send him home shortly after.

A complete blood count was taken and that was all they needed to know that something was “terribly wrong” with Reese’s health. He was instantly admitted and doctors conducted more tests to reach a diagnosis.

The following morning, Reese was informed by an oncologist that 87 percent of his white blood cells were myeloblasts, a common indicator of leukemia. A subsequent bone marrow biopsy was also required before Reese finally understood what was going on.

Just a few weeks before his fortieth birthday and after completing a 27-mile hike, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). People diagnosed with AML often experience fatigue, fever, weight loss and night sweats, according to the American Cancer Society, along with other symptoms from low blood counts such as easy bruising, frequent infections, and shortness of breath.

Reese was then transferred to Baylor University Medical Center for additional testing and analysis to ensure he was healthy enough to begin intensive chemotherapy.

Meanwhile, Sarah returned home to be with their daughter and awaited a call from her husband. She had a gut feeling that it would be bad, and as soon as she saw his name flash up on the screen, she prepared for the worst.

Upon hearing what her husband was dealing with, Sarah switched into logistics mode without hesitation. She arranged childcare and coordinated with her employer in order to get to the hospital and support Reese.

She told Newsweek: “AML is so aggressive that they usually have to stabilize the patient and begin treatment immediately. The nurses and doctors did an incredible job at recognizing and stabilizing Reese, even after he went into septic shock. The first round of chemo for AML is extremely intensive and carries such a high risk of complications.”

Chemotherapy significantly depleted Reese’s blood counts, causing fatigue and shortness of breath. Fortunately, as he is now in deep remission, his levels are steadily improving over time.

After spending 30 days in the hospital, it was a truly remarkable moment when he finally got to walk out and return home. Indeed, it was so moving for Sarah to finally see him leave the hospital that she could not hold back the tears.

“It wasn’t from happiness or relief, it was actually the feeling of disbelief that this even happened to our family (coupled with complete dread),” Sarah said. “I felt like he was leaving the safety of the hospital and that something would go wrong at home. But seeing him outside for the first time in 30 days, staring in awe at the trees, I felt overwhelming gratitude.”

Following the sudden leukemia diagnosis, Sarah started documenting Reese’s journey on social media (@windwill22 on TikTok) to raise awareness.

Reese hopes that by sharing his story, he can highlight the importance of early detection and seeking support from loved ones during difficult times.

“For anyone facing this diagnosis, focus on your mental state,” Reese told Newsweek. “Try not to dwell on the ‘why me?’ thoughts because each day will be a different battle that needs your undivided attention.”

This experience has given Reese an entirely new perspective on his health. He reminds others not to get too caught up in the chaos of life that they forget to listen to their body.

Is there a health issue that’s worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.

Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and Emma Lee-Sang