Cancer survivor who thought chemo had left her infertile now has two ‘miracle’ children – and reveals how she risked losing a leg by coming off antibiotics in order to conceive
- Cara Newton, 36, from Hampshire, suffered from rare form of bone cancer
- Was told she had zero chance of conceiving with or without fertility treatment
- In effort to get pregnant came off strong antibiotics and risked losing her leg
- Miraculously fell pregnant and has now had two children Seb, 5, and Jessica, 2
A cancer-stricken woman, who doctors told had zero chance of conceiving, has revealed how she risked losing her leg in order to get pregnant.
Cara Newton, 36, from Hampshire, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma – a rare type of bone cancer – in 2009 after initially thinking she’d torn a muscle in her left leg.
Devastated by her cancer diagnosis, and after chemo, which sent her body into early menopause, Cara was also told there was a zero per cent chance that she’d ever have a family of her own.
But determined to have a family, she came off strong antibiotics, which she was taking after doctors put a metal prosthesis in her leg, and risked losing her limb in order to get pregnant.
Refusing to give up hope, three years after finishing chemotherapy, Cara and her husband, Chris, miraculously fell pregnant naturally with Sebastian, now five. Followed by her daughter, Jessica, now two.
Cara, pictured with her husband Chris (left) and children Sebastian (right), 5, and Jessica (left), 2, risked losing her leg in order to have children
Cara was diagnosed when she was just 26 and was told the cancer was aggressive. Without immediate treatment, she risked the disease spreading across her body.
She underwent 12 months of gruelling chemotherapy, causing her body to start early menopause.
In a bid to avoid her leg being amputated, surgeons removed the bone affected by cancer in her upper leg and replaced it with a metal prosthesis.
But more heart-breaking news was to follow – IVF now wasn’t an option either and she was told she had a zero per cent chance of conceiving with or without fertility treatment.
Cara, now a full time mother, said: ‘When I look at our children I have to pinch myself that they’re actually ours, it’s a dream come true, I never thought it would happen after my cancer diagnosis.
‘I was facing menopause at 26-years-old as my eggs had been destroyed due to chemotherapy.
Cara came off my strong anti-biotics which came with huge risks as she could’ve lost her leg due to an infection (pictured)
She continued: ‘To be given a zero per cent chance of conceiving was a living nightmare but now I’d love to think our journey could give other young women facing infertility after cancer some hope for their future families.’
Cara said: ‘We’ve fought so hard have our little family, before falling pregnant with Seb I had to come off my strong anti-biotics which came with huge risks as I could’ve lost my leg due to an infection.
‘But it was a risk I was willing to take and luckily it paid off.’
Cara, 36, suffered another cancer scare in January 2016, twenty months after the birth of Sebastian, when she found another lump on her left leg.
Treatment for Cara’s rare cancer left her body entering an early menopause and doctors told her she would never have children
Tearful Cara says: ‘I was devastated when a lump appeared, I instantly thought my cancer was back and that Seb would be left without his mum. I couldn’t bare to face the effects of chemotherapy for a second time.
‘But after two biopsies and an agonising four week wait for results, we were told the mass wasn’t cancerous.
‘Doctors later found that my body was rejecting the metal rod in my leg which had caused a fluid filled tumour, it was a relief but the happiness was short lived as I knew I’d need more surgery to correct it.’
Doctors told the couple that trying for a second baby wouldn’t be dangerous while her body rejected the metal prosthesis.
Cara may need her left leg amputated in the future, but says that for now she is happy being a full-time mother
Cara says: ‘Following this news we began trying again in April 2016, we’d already been blessed with our perfect Seb but we wanted him to have a sibling.
‘Doctors had no idea if I’d be lucky enough to fall pregnant again naturally, they were baffled by us being able to conceive Seb as I’d only had one period since 2009.
‘But we were over the moon when we fell pregnant again with Jessica just a few weeks later.
‘She was born on January 27th in 2017 and it felt like such a miracle to have one of each.
Cara said she and her husband Chris were ‘so lucky to have two miracle children’ (pictured here with Sebastian and Jessica
‘We felt like our family was finally complete despite all the odds stacked against us. It was a complete miracle.’
Ewing’s sarcoma
Ewing sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that affects bones or the tissue around bones.
It mainly affects children and young people, with most cases diagnosed in people aged 10 to 20.
It’s more common in males than females.
The main areas affected by Ewing sarcoma are the:
– legs (most often around the knee)
– pelvis
– arms
– ribs
– spine
Cara’s new metal prosthetic was inserted last January and she’ll be closely monitored in the future in case her body rejects it again.
She says: ‘I might need my left leg to be amputated in the future but for now, I’m enjoying being a full time mummy.
‘This whole journey has been like a roller coaster but we’ve somehow got through it, Chris is my rock.
‘In April this year we celebrated my 10 year cancer-versary and I felt so proud of myself.
‘I can’t chase after the kids like other mums but Seb and Jessica know it’s because of my ‘poorly’ leg and they’ll often try to ‘kiss it better’ which is adorable.
She explained: ‘Me and Chris are so lucky to have two miracle children, I would tell anyone affected by infertility to never give up hope.
‘We were told there was a zero per cent chance I’d ever have children of my own but look at us now, we’re a family of four.’
Source: Read Full Article