Ashley Park has described how acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and intensive chemotherapy left her dependent on repeated blood and platelet transfusions as a teenager, saying she had to accept she had 'zero control' over what would happen next. The 35-year-old 'Emily in Paris' star was diagnosed with AML at 15 after developing severe fatigue, extensive bruising and difficulty with everyday activities.

In an interview with People, Park said she eventually fainted during a dance class, prompting a medical appointment and blood tests that led to her being sent to hospital. The actor spent about eight months largely isolated during treatment in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and underwent six rounds of chemotherapy.

Park's AML Treatment

Park said the experience forced her to live with extreme uncertainty at an age when she had been focused on school, dancing, theatre and music. She said that accepting she had 'zero control' became part of how she managed not knowing what the next day or month would bring. Her chemotherapy targeted the leukaemia cells but also severely suppressed normal blood-cell production, leaving her reliant on donated blood while her body recovered.

AML is a fast-progressing cancer of the blood and bone marrow in which abnormal immature blood cells build up and interfere with normal blood-cell production. The National Cancer Institute says this can leave patients with too few healthy red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, increasing the risk of anaemia, infection and bleeding.

Chemotherapy can further suppress normal blood-cell production, meaning patients with AML may require red blood cell and platelet transfusions during treatment.

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Blood Transfusions Central to Recovery

According to the People report, Park said she received blood and platelet transfusions almost daily during treatment. She added that chemotherapy was destroying both cancerous and healthy cells, noting that transfused blood became essential while her body rebuilt its blood supply.

Park estimated that hundreds, and potentially thousands, of people in the Ann Arbor area may have contributed blood that ultimately supported her recovery. The actor said she viewed each transfusion as a source of hope during her hospital stay.

A Broviac central venous catheter was placed in her chest to make repeated transfusions and treatment easier to administer.

Park eventually entered remission, returned to school and later studied musical theatre at the University of Michigan before building a career that included Broadway's 'Mean Girls' and Netflix's 'Emily in Paris.'

Park's Call to Donors

The actor is now supporting Abbott and the Big Ten Conference's We Give Blood competition, which runs until 4 December 2026 and encourages students, alumni and fans to donate. The winning university receives a $1 million (£750,000) grant for student or community health.

Park, a University of Michigan graduate, said that the campaign made her reflect more closely on the anonymous donors whose blood helped sustain her during treatment.

The actor's appeal to the public comes after the American Red Cross declared a national blood crisis in July 2026, when donations fell to a four-year summer low, and supplies of type O positive blood dropped below one day's supply.

The organisation says donated blood must be continually replenished because red blood cells can be stored for up to 42 days, while platelets generally have a shelf life of five days under Red Cross procedures.

For patients undergoing cancer treatment, that supply can be critical when disease or chemotherapy prevents the body from producing enough healthy blood cells.

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