UK: Couple welcome 'miracle' baby after battling cancer, undergoing chemotherapy during pregnancy

An expectant couple who both survived cancer and having undergone chemotherapy gave birth to a "miracle" child. In December of last year, James Jefferson-Loveday was prescribed a Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis, according to Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, merely a few months before his wife Bethany was observed a cancer diagnosis at 21 weeks pregnant. Following Mr. Loveday's diagnosis, the couple decided to try for a child.

When Bethany learned she was expecting in January, she was overwelhemed and excited. However, her happiness soon gave way to sadness when she learned she had a high grade Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that is similar to it, at 21 weeks of pregnancy.

According to Dr. Salim Shafeek, a consultant haematologist at the hospital, "The combination of being pregnant and having high-grade Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is exceptionally rare, and Bethany is the first case of this I've treated in my 25 years as a Consultant Haematologist."

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Bethany's symptoms began in the first trimester of her pregnancy, while her husband was still going through chemotherapy for his lymphoma. Though it was initially believed that her issues were pregnancy-related, she saw a doctor after her symptoms persisted for weeks.

Bethany recalled having headaches, shortness of breath, fatigue and hard lump developed on her collarbone. Bethany stated, "But despite all of this, I was in-denial that anything was wrong. I assumed that my symptoms were pregnancy related and that the lump must have been a cyst".

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She talked to a consultant obstetrician at the hospital about all of her treatment options before beginning a demanding course of six cycles of chemotherapy. Dr. Shafeek recommended against using more aggressive treatments or postponing chemotherapy, which had to be completed by 35 weeks for her to be in good enough health to give birth. She experienced a Caesarean delivery, and her daughter was born without complications and in perfect health.

"James and I both agree that Heidi's birthday was the best day of our lives. Dr Shafeek described Heidi as a miracle and reflecting back on the past year, he is absolutely right," Bethany added.