Brain tumour battle woman expecting miracle baby
SARAH FEARED SHE WOULD NEVER HAVE CHILDREN AFTER HEAD SURGERY WHILE SHE WAS AWAKE
A WOMAN who feared the tumour that saw her have brain surgery whilst awake had ended her chance of motherhood is now expecting a miracle baby.
Previously fit and healthy, Sarah Gaffney-Lang, 32, suddenly suffered a huge seizure in her sleep and was horrified to be diagnosed with a brain tumour.
She had radical surgery whilst awake, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy which doctors warned would likely leave her infertile.
To give her a shot at being a mum, she had time for one round of egg freezing before beginning treatment – but incredibly, she fell pregnant naturally after finishing chemotherapy and is now expecting her first child with her commercial director husband Matt Lang, 34.
Due in March, Sarah, a freelance copywriter from Manchester, said: “Finding out I was pregnant was a huge surprise. I assumed kids would mean carefully deciding on the right time to use the eggs that had been frozen, so it’s amazing it happened naturally.
“Throughout my treatment, I lived life only thinking one step ahead, but now I need to train myself to think more long-term.
“Though I was worried about how my body would cope with pregnancy, I’m as stable as I can be and now can’t wait to meet him or her.”
Sarah, who married Matt during her treatment in 2017, told of how she’d had absolutely no symptoms in the lead up to her seizure.
She recalled: “I had a big seizure in my sleep, all I remember is feeling really frightened.”
She underwent a number of tests, including an MRI scan, which revealed that she had a brain tumour.
Speaking of the diagnosis, she said: “I was really fit and active, and so the thought of cancer – let alone a brain tumour – never crossed my mind. It was a complete bombshell.” Further investigations confirmed that Sarah had a grade two glioma – one of the most common types of brain tumour. Two months after her diagnosis, she was faced with the daunting task of undergoing an awake craniotomy, where the patient is conscious during surgery. Unfortunately, the precarious position of the tumour meant removing it completely could pose too great a risk of paralysis, and so the surgery was abandoned. After three weeks in hospital recovering, Sarah was allowed home, before launching into the next phase of her treatment – a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Just before beginning, she was allowed to freeze her eggs in an attempt to preserve her chances of Sarah Gaffney-Lang having children, but, due to the urgent nature of her situation, there was only time for one shot.
“With everything going on, my fertility hadn’t even entered my mind, so I’m really glad the doctors bought it up,” she said. “I’d always wanted kids so it would have been tough if I’d lost my chance altogether.”
Sarah bravely underwent 12 cycles of treatment, hoping the eggs she had frozen would be enough to help her become a mum in the future.
Overjoyed to finish treatment, she discovered around three months later that, against the odds, she had conceived naturally.
“It was absolutely amazing. Matt and I couldn’t believe it,” she added.
Sarah discussed her pregnancy with her medical team, but they were happy for her to proceed so long as she was regularly monitored.
Thankfully, she has coped remarkably well, and now can’t wait to meet her baby.
Throughout her journey, Sarah has been supported by the charity Trekstock, which helps young adults affected by cancer. For information, visit www.trekstock.com.