Mum 36 weeks pregnant handed shocking diagnosis after getting symptom checked

A mum who was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer while pregnant is now celebrating her daughter's first birthday.

Laura Hudson was 36 weeks pregnant with her first child when she and her husband Sam received the shocking news that she had breast cancer. The 34-year-old was told she would need fast treatment, and a Caesarean section was arranged for just a few days after she was diagnosed.

Laura, a lawyer from Astley, said when she received her diagnosis her 'first thought was for her baby'. But her daughter Aurora was born safe and well and is now celebrating his first birthday.

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She described Aurora as her 'light in the dark' after needing chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a mastectomy. Laura said she first thought something was wrong when she felt a lump in her right breast.

"I wasn’t looking for it and I thought it was a bit strange, though I know that changes happen in pregnancy," she said. "I thought I’d just get it checked at the doctor.

"The GP thought it was most likely to do with pregnancy and said to come back in two weeks. At that next appointment, I thought it had got bigger and the doctor agreed and sent off the request for further checks."

Within two weeks, Laura was undergoing further scans and medics quickly realised she had aggressive disease. "The consultant said it was cancer,” she said.

"Sam and I were so shocked because it’s not something you expect, especially during pregnancy. My first thought was for my baby.”

Laura was given a mammogram and medics wanted her to start treatment as soon as possible because the lump had grown so quickly. She was seen at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust’s cancer centre at the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary in Wigan, on the same site where she received her maternity care.

“The tumour was about 2cm at the start and went up to 4.5cm by 8.6cm on the mammogram – it had grown significantly,” Laura said. “They wanted to make sure we could get the baby out, and then start treatment ASAP to try and shrink it before having any surgery.

“It was grade three, so quite aggressive.” Laura delivered Aurora and was able to spend time with her.

She then needed chemotherapy, followed by a mastectomy and reconstruction of her right breast. A total of 15 sessions of radiotherapy were also needed and Laura is now on the drug tamoxifen to try and prevent the cancer coming back.

Laura said: "They gave me an option, so they said that we could do a lumpectomy, but because of the size of the tumour, they would have had to have taken quite a big margin anyway. It was very much probably the best option to agree to have the mastectomy because of the size of the tumour and because it had been growing quickly.”

Laura said she 'couldn’t be happier' and scans now show she is cancer free, although she will continue to have checks at the Christie centre. "Aurora has been amazing. She’s made the last year worth going through all that awful stage, because it now feels like it didn’t happen, which is really strange,” she said.

“It was hard, definitely at the beginning and after surgery, because I was so exhausted during chemo that it was hard to look after her some days. Luckily, my mum lives 10 minutes away, so she has been amazing.

"She’s got such an amazing bond with Aurora. I think you always get a bit of mum guilt when you feel like you can’t look after them, and especially after surgery, I couldn’t pick her up for quite a while.

"However, she’s developing and she’s doing so well. She started a couple of days ago doing peekaboo on her own.

"Whenever I was having a particularly tough moment, I’d focus on Aurora. She’s my aurora in the truest sense of the word, a beautiful light in the dark.”

Laura has decided to have her other breast removed as a preventative measure next year, saying: “It (the cancer) still might come back… I’d like to at least do everything that I think I can possibly do to try and prevent it.”

She added: “We don’t know what this means for having more children in the future, but we are so lucky to have had Aurora – other women are not so lucky. I’m now entirely focused on recovery and my future with Sam and Aurora.

“There’s so much I want to do, and I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

Sam, who is also a lawyer, and some of the couple’s friends have raised thousands of pounds for the Christie Charity. Laura said: “At every point of my journey – from diagnosis and Aurora’s birth to my cancer treatment – I felt very safe and cared for by the NHS.

“I brought her in to see them (the staff) on the last day, and they were so happy to see her, it was quite an emotional moment. I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me.”

Dr Claire Kelly, Laura's consultant at the Christie, said: “Laura is an inspirational woman and, by sharing her story, she is raising awareness as well. A lump is not the only symptom of breast cancer, so it’s important that people check themselves regularly and know what’s normal for them.

“We are really grateful that Laura and her loved ones have chosen to raise money for our charity. It provides services above and beyond what the NHS funds.

"Donations make a huge difference to the care that the Christie can provide for patients and their families.”

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