Kentish Express Ashford & District
‘Pregnant and told I had cancer - but I kept my baby boy’
Couple faced unthinkable decision together
When pregnant Lyndsay Knight was told she had cancer she and her husband faced the unthinkable thought of having to abort their baby.
But the couple - who married just three months before the shock diagnosis - say continuing with the pregnancy was the “best decision they ever made”.
Eight-month-old Henry is now at home and bringing smiles to their faces every day.
But 29-year-old Lyndsay’s brave battle with cancer continues.
In the summer of 2018 she and husband Karl married and were ecstatic to discover they were expecting their first child.
A fortnight later Lyndsay found a lump in her breast.
“I was quite willing to fob it off as a hormonal cyst,” she recalls.
“But a good friend of mine convinced me to go to the doctors just to be on the safe side.”
On November 13, just before their honeymoon and at 13 weeks pregnant, the couple received the devastating news that Lyndsay had grade 3 triple-negative breast cancer.
The couple cancelled their trip, and were left considering whether they should terminate the pregnancy.
“What a devastating time it was,” said Lyndsay, a former Folkestone School for Girls and Canterbury College pupil, who lives in Cheriton.
“We were questioning whether to proceed with the pregnancy, and what the risk was - how it would affect my treatment, and outcome. But the ball was rolling, so there was no time to procrastinate. We had to just do what we felt best.”
The couple decided to keep their baby boy.
“It’s the best decision we’ve ever made,” said Lyndsay.
While pregnant, she had a lumpectomy to remove the cancer from her breast, followed by four rounds of chemotherapy before Henry was born.
“We got to enjoy six amazing weeks getting to know our boy before chemotherapy started again,” she said.
In October, Lyndsay went in for another scan, which sadly revealed the cancer had spread to her liver.
She has now had a total of 19 rounds of chemotherapy, and awaits to hear whether there has been any improvement.
But the indomitable mum has taken the news in her stride, and remains upbeat throughout the gruelling ordeal.
“We are very positive in general,” said Lyndsay. “I mean, it’s a bit of a rubbish situation, but we’re very good at making light of everything.
“I’ve been very, very lucky in that my side effects have been very limited. I’ve managed to keep my hair through the use of a cold cap, which is fantastic.”
The University of Kent graduate is now hoping to run a marathon.
She and husband Karl plan to take on the Vitality Half in London in March, followed by the Edinburgh Marathon in May.
They want to raise £2,500 for Mummy’s Star - a charity dedicated to helping women, and the families of women affected by cancer during pregnancy.
“They have been absolutely incredible to us,” said Lyndsay.
“They have a Facebook forum where you can chat with other mums, and it’s an amazing place for support. They’ve also provided financial support for travel to hospital, emails, and much more. They’ve brought our family so much support that has left us speechless.
“We desperately want to help raise awareness of their charity so Mummy’s Star can continue to help other families in need.”
As part of their fundraising efforts, the Knights are selling badges and car stickers featuring the number 13, which has had an unexpected significance to the couple.
“I was diagnosed on November 13, which was 13 weeks into my pregnancy,” explained Lyndsay. “It’s strange how much it’s cropped up.”
■ Donate at www.justgiving. com/fundraising/starry-knights. Follow their progress on Instagram at starry__knights.