THE EXPECTANT young woman discovered a lump in her breast just weeks after she learned she was pregnant.
A cancer-stricken mother who refused aggressive treatment has given birth to a baby boy |
Christiana Ensam-Taiwo was overjoyed to learn she was expecting her second child.
But just three weeks into her pregnancy, the young mum discovered something that every woman fears.
Christiana found a lump in her right breast, and was then diagnosed with breast cancer in October this year.
For
the health of her unborn baby, the Greenwich resident decided to delay
gruelling therapy. Instead, Christiana was put on a milder form of
chemotherapy for the duration of her pregnancy.
Noah was born on December 15 of last year |
The 31-year-old received an early Christmas present last year, when she gave birth to her healthy son, Noah, on December 15.
Now,
the mum-of-two is preparing to undergo a more aggressive course of
treatment in a bid to banish the cancerous cells from her body.
Christiana, who is also mum to one-year-old Isaac, said: “I'm feeling really anxious about it.
“It's
going to be hard having two small babies at home - one a newborn who
wakes up three or four times a night to be fed – while having
chemotherapy, which leaves me exhausted.”
Of undergoing chemotherapy, Christiana said: "It's going to be hard having two small babies at home" |
The young mum had also developed gestational diabetes, which, if left untreated, can be fateful to an unborn child.
She
said: "It was a double whammy. There was a lot of pressure to deliver
early. I’d had gestational diabetes with Isaac too so I was expecting
it. But I wasn't expecting the cancer."
As part of her treatment,
Christiana has been advised to take a drug called Perjeta, which is said
to double the eradication of tumours and extend survival for
sufferers.
Christiana is also the mother of one-year-old Isaac |
The drug has been granted a license for women in early stage of the
disease but it’s yet to be fully appraised by the National Institute for
Health Care and Excellence (NICE) for widespread use through the NHS.
Samia al Qadhi, Chief Executive at Breast Cancer Care, said: “For some patients, (Perjeta) could transform care…
“It has the potential to reduce the number of breast cancer deaths.”
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