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I was terrified when I fell pregnant, but I had no idea I was carrying a lifesaver. By Chantelle Francis, 28
As I made my way towards the smiling figure up ahead, my insides twisted. My boyfriend Andrew and I had just broken up, but now I had something to tell him.
And I was dreading it.
As I got closer, he could see the frozen expression on my face, and he said: ‘What’s the matter?’
I took a deep breath and said: ‘I’m pregnant.’
Andrew stared at me and, for a moment, time seemed to stand still. But then he started grinning.
‘This is amazing,’ he said. ‘And I’ll support you whatever you decide.’
I was relieved, but I hadn’t planned on having children, especially as a single mum. Still,
I decided to go ahead with the pregnancy.
Andrew and my mum were great, keeping my spirits up and helping me prepare for the new arrival. But it was tough, and I struggled with sickness and feeling uncomfortable.
At 16 weeks, we discovered we were having a little boy. Suddenly, everything felt very real and I started to get excited about meeting the little person inside me.
Andrew and I went shopping and bought everything from a cot and a car seat to dummies and toys. We even bought the first three sizes in nappies just to be ready.
Although we didn’t get back together, he was an amazing support, coming to every scan, and even painting my toenails for me.
In time, I went into labour, but after almost 40 hours, I still hadn’t given birth. I had gas and air and then I was given drugs for the pain.
But still there was no sign of my little boy.
'This can't be good'
Eventually, I needed an assisted delivery. As I looked around the room, I could see a lot of worried faces, but the moment my little lad was placed on my chest, I felt like I was floating on a cloud.
‘Oh, look at him!’ I said to Andrew.
‘He’s beautiful,’ he replied.
My son stared up at me and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He had such beautiful, jet-black hair and tiny hands.
We named him Asaiah, and we were completely head over heels for him.
But shortly afterwards, something happened.
I was taken into another room where a doctor showed me a cup filled with three strange, golf ball-sized lumps.
They looked like kidneys, and as I stared into the cup, I was lost for words.
‘These came out during the birth,’ the doctor said.
The lumps were sent away for biopsies, but I had other things to think about. I wanted to get Asaiah home to my mum’s house in West Bromwich, West Midlands, to start my new life as a mum.
It was hard work, but I loved every second of it.
I sang to Asaiah and made up little songs to entertain him. As soon as I opened my mouth, he grinned up at me, even though I had a terrible singing voice.
But when he was a month old, I received a phone call.
It was from the hospital calling me back in.
‘What for?’ I asked.
‘The results of the biopsies,’ the nurse replied.
Suddenly I remembered the three little lumps, and my stomach lurched.
I’d assumed everything was OK as I hadn’t heard anything.
But now I said to Mum: ‘This can’t be good.’
I spent the whole weekend terrified of what lay ahead.
Then, on Monday morning, I left Asaiah with Mum and went to the hospital feeling like I had a brick in my stomach.
When I was called in to see the consultant, he asked if I was alone.
And I noticed a box of tissues on the desk.
My heart sank.
‘I know it’s bad,’ I said. ‘Just tell me.’
‘The lumps were cancerous,’ he replied.
I gasped as all the air left my lungs. I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach.
The doctor had no idea if there was any cancer left in my body.
I cursed myself for missing my cervical screening and said: ‘Am I going to die?’
‘I’m afraid I can’t say,’ the doctor replied.
I left the hospital in a daze. When I reached my car, I stood next to the parking meter staring at my phone for ages, wondering how to tell Mum.
Eventually, I called Andrew.
We cried together and I said: ‘What about Asaiah? What if I die, Andrew? What if I don’t see him grow up?’
'What about Asaiah?'
He did his best to keep me calm, and when I got home, I told Mum the news. Like me, she wanted to know what was going to happen. But it was too early to say.
My doctor told me I couldn’t be scanned until my womb had recovered from the birth.
All I could do was wait. But every time I fed Asaiah or changed his nappy, I wondered how many more times I’d get to do it.
In time, the lumps were assessed as low-grade endometrial sarcomas. Although the cancer wasn’t aggressive, it was rare for women of my age and I was told that if more of it was found I’d need a hysterectomy.
The thought of that tore me apart but I tried to remain positive.
In time, I went into hospital for a scan, and a week later, I returned for the results.
When I saw the Macmillan nurse, I started to shake. But the consultant smiled.
‘I have good news,’ he said. ‘There’s no cancer left in your body.’
I put my face in my hands and wept.
He explained that I’d still need a scan every three months, but things were looking good.
And then he told me something astonishing.
‘If you hadn’t given birth,’ he said, ‘the cancer may never have been caught in time.’
And I realised I was going to survive because of Asaiah.
The lumps had come out during his birth. He’d kicked the cancer out of me.
Back at home, we celebrated the news and finally I was able to put everything behind me and focus on the future.
Now, as I look back, I feel so fortunate.
Falling pregnant was a shock, but little Asaiah turned out to be a blessing in more ways than one. And he’s really living up to his name which means ‘gift from God’.
He’s my little hero.
