Your Stories: Travel Counsellors' Dean Wilson on overcoming leukaemia

Q. How did your career develop?
After college, I went into high street travel 38 years ago – American Express Travel in Southport, then Morrisons Travel, AT Mays and Co-op Travelcare. I managed a busy Thomas Cook branch in Liverpool city centre. There are plenty of memories but the most important must be meeting my wife Ann on a Cayman Islands fam in 1992. We have two children, Eva and Mia – proof that travel can genuinely change your life.

My friend David Griffin, who’d worked with me at Thomas Cook, was very successful at Travel Counsellors. Seeing how well the model worked made it an easy decision to join in 2006. I built the business through networking events, alongside developing corporate travel accounts. More recently, most new business comes from referrals. I reached Gold top-performing status in about 2009.

Q. Tell us about when you were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia?
The diagnosis came suddenly in August 2020. The first sign was extreme fatigue, which we initially put down to Covid. When my heart rate went through the roof, we went to A&E and things escalated quickly and I was transferred to Clatterbridge Cancer Hospital, Liverpool. My first round of treatment didn’t go well; I developed a serious infection and ended up in ICU with sepsis.

Q. How did you cope with work and treatment?
My illness and Covid happened at the same time, so it was almost the “best” time to be out of action. I spent much of my treatment in hospital, because I was so unwell, but also because the risk of infection, especially Covid, was extremely high. Leukaemia treatment leaves you with little to no immune system, so shielding was essential. When I felt well enough, I worked from hospital. Having something familiar to focus on helped me mentally and gave me a sense of normality. 

Q. How are you now? 
I’m really well. I feel incredibly grateful for this second chance and the support of my family, friends and everyone at Travel Counsellors. The care, kindness and leadership reinforced why being part of it means so much. It wasn’t easy for Ann running the business while I was ill. A lot of colleagues stepped up. Last year we celebrated our biggest year ever, thanks to amazing head office support and the way colleagues work together. 

It’s a great place to be, personally and professionally. Long-haul tailor-made holidays and cruises are my core business. I do a bit of corporate travel and having that balance is valuable, as it often brings in steady revenue when leisure bookings are quieter. 

Q. How did you regain Gold status?  
As I recovered, an important part was reconnecting with customers who may have been reluctant to get in touch after hearing I’d been unwell. Staying positive and reassuring clients that I was ready to help was made easier thanks to the incredible support from the company and my colleagues. Their help enabled me to focus on recovering while getting back to doing what I love – looking after my clients. I’m getting out and about – networking, attending Travel Counsellors events, and brushing up my skills at head office. I’m mentoring several Travel Counsellors agents, which I’m really enjoying. 

Q. What sort of holidays and fam trips do you take? 
I’ve been more limited recently because of insurance, so most trips have been Europe or short-haul – Morocco, Porto, Bergen, Iceland and Fethiye, as well as an amazing cruise on Oceania Vista. I’ve enjoyed seeing more of the UK – Northumbria, Derbyshire and a trip to the Scottish highlands to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I’m looking forward to more long-haul destinations and hopefully a skiing trip.

Working from home in Southport gives me more time with my family and to exercise. It’s about finding a balance where the business keeps moving forward without losing sight of what matters. Now, my focus is on encouraging as many people as possible to join stem cell donor registers.

How did it feel to get the transplant from your brother?  

I was incredibly lucky. My younger brother Danny was the closest possible match, so the focus was on getting well enough to have a life-saving stem cell transplant on July 15, 2021 – a date we now call my second birthday. It took almost a year from diagnosis before I was ready to receive it, so when it happened, it felt like a huge milestone and an enormous relief. It’s more like a transfusion of stem cells.

Danny only spent a few hours in hospital and experienced no long‑term effects. I’m incredibly fortunate, because many people don’t have a suitable donor within their family and must rely on donor registers. Remission was achieved after the first treatment. I got off lightly; it went relatively well, mainly as I had such a good match with Danny. Travel Counsellors was incredibly supportive, both personally and professionally. They supported me and my wife Ann, who works alongside me in the business, offering genuine care, understanding and reassurance at a very difficult time.