Pregnant mum who refused cancer treatment to save her baby’s life is now battling disease for second time
Gemma Nuttall, 27, refused an abortion in order to have her baby - but the cancer has returned
A PREGNANT mum who bravely refused cancer treatment to save her baby’s life is now battling the disease a second time.
Doctors offered Gemma Nuttall, 27, a termination so she could start life-saving treatment after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer 16 weeks into her pregnancy.
But she chose to delay any treatment until after the birth of her daughter Penelope, now aged two - then embarked on nine months of gruelling chemotherapy.
Tragically, now she has been told the cancer has returned and she is battling stage 4 brain and lung cancer.
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Gemma, of Newchurch, Rossendale, Lancashire, and her family are now desperately trying to raise £50,000 so she can fly to the private Hallwang oncology clinic in Germany for specialist treatment unavailable on the NHS.
It is hoped the treatment will give her precious time to spend with her daughter.
She said Penelope was delivered at 29 weeks by caesarean section and doctors were then able to remove the ovarian tumour.
However once her "beautiful baby" came into the world it was found Gemma also had cervical cancer.
She said: "Words can't explain what I am going through. This is a cruel and shattering experience."
A cyst was detected on Gemma’s ovary during her 12 week dating scan but following investigations it was discovered to be a tumour.
"The doctors gave me a choice whether to carry on with the pregnancy or not and it was just horrible to make that decision.
"I didn’t want to have a termination. This was my baby and I wanted to save her life. She saved mine in the first place, because I had no symptoms and wouldn’t have had a scan," she said.
The new mum had to start chemotherapy immediately while her baby girl recovered in intensive care.
"It was so scary. I had my baby but had to go through nine months of chemotherapy. It was traumatic. Luckily she is a placid little thing and always slept well, she was a brilliant baby," she said.
After initially beating the illness, Gemma said she enjoyed getting in to a routine and got a job as a trainee manager at her mum’s soft play business, Funtazia in Blackburn.
"The pregnancy was hard and I was constantly being monitored and checked. Now I am shattered knowing that it has come back.
"I don’t regret my decision. My baby means the world to me and she did do from the moment I was pregnant."
Gemma and her partner Alex were also forced to cancel their wedding plans when they found out about the illness.
"We put the wedding on hold because of the pregnancy but now we are saving for treatment. This is a harrowing battle but I am trying to take each day as it comes.
"I have moments, but I need to stay positive. I want to see my baby girl grow and if this treatment can help me be cancer free for two more years then I will be happy," she said.
Gemma’s mum Helen Sproates has been helping to arrange fundraising events offering support to her tragic daughter’s diagnosis.
Doctor’s at Royal Blackburn Hospital gave the mother and daughter the news that she had a brain tumour.
The pair said they were aware that the metastatic ovarian cancer that started two years ago can never be cured but the treatment can prolong lives.
Speaking of her only daughter Helen, said: "Devastated does not come close to what we are going through. But we need to be positive and raise the £50,000 so that Penelope can be with her mummy.
"Penelope is my only grandchild and she saved my daughter’s life. If Gemma hadn’t got pregnant she wouldn’t have been here at all."
- To help Gemma, click to go to her JustGiving page.
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