Surprise baby joy for brain cancer dad
A DAD told he may never have more kids after undergoing gruelling chemotherapy for incurable brain cancer is celebrating the arrival of a baby boy.
Neil Taylor, 36 and wife Alex, 28, welcomed their second child, Harvey, into the world weighing 7lb 3oz on January 6, almost three years after intensive treatment.
Neil was diagnosed with a brain tumour on his left frontal lobe in February 2017 when Alex was 13 weeks pregnant with their first child Annabelle.
He had surgery to debulk the tumour but it was identified as a grade three astrocytoma, which would require further treatment.
He had an intense course of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but feared he would not be able to have more children as the treatment can affect fertility in men.
However, the couple, from Middleton, were given the best news ever last May when Alex, a solicitor, found out she was pregnant and the couple were blessed with a baby boy. Neil, a McDonald’s franchise supervisor, said: “We knew the chemotherapy may affect our chances of conceiving again, but despite the odds, we were so pleased when we found out Alex was pregnant again.
“Alex and I were both juggling working from home and childcare for the first part of lockdown, before we were granted a period of furlough leave.
“It was another topsy turvy year but we, like many other families, made the most of the situation and enjoyed spending more time together at home.
“Obviously, going into another lockdown at the beginning of 2021, just before Harvey’s due date, wasn’t ideal but we’re both ecstatic he’s here and he’s healthy and that’s all that matters.”
Alex, who gave birth at 4.15am at the couple’s home in Middleton, after a short labour, said: “Because of the restrictions, Neil wasn’t able to attend hospital with me for my prenatal appointments and scans, which was really disappointing.
“I chose to have a homebirth because I knew that it meant, whatever happened, Neil could be with me.”
Neil has to be monitored with routine MRI scans every six months. His most recent scan results in September 2020 were stable, meaning he can relax for the time being.
His next one is scheduled in March. The couple have been fundraising for the charity Brain Tumour Research since 2017 and have raised more than £20,000.
Visit www.justgiving. com/fundraising/ Neil-Taylor27 to donate to Neil’s fundraising campaign.