Danielle Emery, 39, was about to undergo life-saving cancer surgery when she found out she was pregnant, and had to choose between her life and that of her baby.
Danielle Emery from Reading was suffering from what she thought was a sore throat, but put her symptoms down to a simple cold.
Even when her condition worsened and she was left straining her voice, she was still only diagnosed with laryngitis when she visited the doctors.
It was only after, in April 2019, that tests confirmed it was, in fact, laryngeal cancer.
Needing emergency surgery to tackle the disease, the carer was ready to go under the knife when she was given another shock diagnosis – she was 11 weeks pregnant.
Danielle and her partner Tony, 39, hadn’t been actively trying for a baby, and she had assumed her late period was down to stress. Although they were happy about the news they were expecting, the couple’s joy was tinged with uncertainty.
‘There was a 99% chance I would miscarry as I was quite early on in my pregnancy,’ said Danielle.
‘It was explained how important the operation was to save my life.
‘I had only a few minutes to make the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make – but without me, there would be no baby anyway.’
Making the brave choice to go ahead with the surgery, Danielle was lucky, saying: ‘Fortunately, it was successful at removing all the cancer. And my baby was fine, too.’
Then, at six months pregnant, the cancer returned.
This time, Danielle said: ‘I wasn’t worried about myself anymore, but I was petrified about the safety of my baby.
‘I cried when I heard that it had come back, as it wasn’t the news I wanted to hear.’
Fearing it had spread further in her throat, she was told that, thankfully, it had just come back in her left vocal cord again.
Danielle dreaded going under anaesthetic again, due to the risks of harming the baby, but while she was scared, she said: ‘Being pregnant made me strong, though, and determined to fight the disease.’
More surgery, including laser removal, followed to remove the cancer permanently, and mum and baby once again received the all-clear.
The new parents were overjoyed to welcomed their baby boy, Callum (now aged four) and get on with their life as a family.
In June 2020, however, Danielle was diagnosed with cancer for a third time.
‘I was devastated, as I was enjoying being a mum to my miracle baby,’ she recalled. ‘I kept thinking: why me? why is life so cruel to me? I thought I was finally getting my life back on track, but cancer was ruining it.’
Doctors advised Danielle she’d need to have her vocal cords removed in order to prevent the disease returning. The procedure ran the risk of her never be able to speak again, and the mum feared her son would never hear her speak.
But Danielle’s voice returned within hours, and she’s now officially been cancer-free for three years.
The mum has since run the Race For Life for Cancer Research UK, and welcomed her second child; Sienna-Rose, age one.
She added: ‘I’m sharing my story so others who have worrying symptoms will seek advice, get checked and won’t leave it until it’s too late.
‘Cancer kills, you lose loved ones like I have and I’m very lucky to be a survivor.’
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