Brave mum, 19, who lost her newborn son while battling cancer dies just months later
Brianna Rawlings passed away after having just two injections of the £1,667-a-week treatment her family crowdfunded for
A SELFLESS mum who chose to postpone her own cancer treatment in a bid to give her unborn son a chance at life has died.
Brianna Rawlings, 19, passed away on December 29, 2018 after losing her battle with leukaemia.
The teen, from Sydney, was just 17 weeks pregnant when she was diagnosed with the rare and aggressive form of blood cancer.
Brianna was given the heartbreaking choice of either terminating her pregnancy or carrying her son to full term.
She decided to delay her own treatment in order to birth her baby, effectively halving her chance of survival.
Baby Kayden was born three months early via emergency C-section, after Brianna began suffering excruciating pain and fevers.
Devastatingly, she contracted a blood infection which she then passed onto her baby who had to be delivered three months early via emergency caesarian.
He clung to life for 12 days before passing away, which Brianna called "the best 12 days of my life" - after which point Brianna concentrated on fighting her own battle.
Speaking at the time, she told the : "It's been very hard, long, exhausting and painful. Even though Kyden is no longer with us he gave me the strength to go on and beat this.
"I was very happy and excited to be a mother - all I've ever wanted to have is a family. I was also scared of what the world had in store for me."
After the horrific ordeal, Brianna seemed to experience a miraculous improvement in her health.
She was finally able to leave hospital for day trips, her blood levels were rising, her muscles seemed to be working.
But her condition started to deteriorate again.
An offer of a bone marrow transplant from her brother was rejected by medics, who said her only option was to go on a drug trial that could save her life, at the cost of $3000 (£1667) every three weeks.
Symptoms of leukemia
There are no specific signs or symptoms which would allow for a doctor to make a diagnosis without lab tests.
In all types of leukaemia symptoms are more commonly caused by a lack of normal blood cells than by the presence of abnormal white cells.
As the bone marrow becomes full of leukaemia cells, it is unable to produce the large numbers of normal blood cells which the body needs.
This can lead to:
- Anaemia
- Weakness and tiredness
- More frequent infections
- Fever
- Bleeding and bruising
Her family began to fundraise for the treatment but after just two injections, Brianna lost her battle.
Brianna’s devastated sister Kourt Rawlings has paid tribute to the tragic teen on a GoFundMe donation page.
She wrote: “Our Beautiful Brianna reached the end of her journey with us here on earth and was finally reunited with her Baby Bear Kyden.
"We are absolutely broken but at the same time at peace knowing she is no longer in pain , no longer in pieces and unsure of what news was to come next.
"We love you more than the stars beautiful girl, fly high and please guide those who are unsure of how to be on this earth without your contagious smile."
Leukaemia is a blood cancer that affects cells in the bone marrow and attacks the immune system.
There are a number of different types of the disease (acute or chronic, myeloid or lymphocytic) and there's no obvious cause, although it occurs when the body makes too many abnormal white blood cells.
That then leads the body becoming vulnerable to infections.
MORE ON CANCER
She died just days after her 19th birthday.
Her sister Kourt wrote on Facebook: "Family and friends, such a tragic way to end 2018 for us."
"Hold onto your loved ones and never stop expressing your love for them."
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours