The 29-year-old woman, who was diagnosed with an incurable disease at just 20 weeks pregnant, says she first realized something was wrong when she woke up and couldn’t move her toes. Over the next few days, the pregnant woman was unable to feel her right leg and went to see her doctor. The doctor initially thought that her baby was pressing against a nerve and sent her for an MRI scan of her back. The results came back clear and Mahon was sent for another MRI scan on her brain. The doctors also told the woman that this was a very unique case and they wanted to monitor her before deciding what would be their next move.
The 29-year-old woman, Laura Mahon, told BBC that she woke up one day and was unable to move her toes. Unfortunately, Mahon didn’t think much about it because she was pregnant and was feeling tired. But, her symptoms worsened and the next day, she could no longer move her right leg and was struggling to walk. Over the next few days, the pregnant woman was unable to feel her right leg. Mahon said her doctor initially thought that her baby was pressing against a nerve and sent her for an MRI scan of her back.
The results came back clear and Mahon was sent for another MRI scan on her brain. The doctors told the 29-year-old woman that she had a brain tumor and it’s probably been there for years and years and had now started growing. The doctors also told Mahon that this was a very unique case and they wanted to monitor her before deciding what would be their next move.
At 27 weeks pregnant, Mahon became very ill. So, she and her 28-year-old husband, Danny, decided to bring their baby into the world. The medical personnel put her under general anesthetic so that she was totally relaxed. They didn’t want to put any pressure on her brain because of the risk of causing further complications. Luckily, the baby, Sienna Grace Laura Mahon, was born on Nov. 30, 2021, the Daily Mail reports.
The child taken to the neonatal ward and placed in an incubator. Unfortunately, Sienna was suffering from a collapsed lung, so she was transferred to another hospital for more specialized care.
On Dec. 9, 2021, Mahon had another MRI scan and the doctors told her that the tumor had nearly doubled in size. The doctors told her that it was inoperable because it was on her motor cortex, and it wouldn’t be safe to remove it. The doctors also told the mother that they could only do a biopsy and they were only able to remove around 20% of it.
On Dec. 22, the doctors told Mahon that she had just two years left to live. The 29-year-old mom then started a 6-week course of chemotherapy and radiotherapy the following week.
Laura Mahon reportedly told Daily Mail: “Danny and I had prepared ourselves for the worst. We knew deep down what it was going to be but being told at 29 years old that you have inoperable stage 4 brain cancer. And that I had just two years to live is something you can never prepare yourself for. Hearing that said out loud was a moment we’ll never forget.
It felt so surreal, like I was living two separate lives. Things all looked fine, like we were a happy family, then I would remember how poorly I am. But it’s so special having Sienna with us, it’s like what we had originally envisaged.”
In April, 2022, Mahon had another MRI scan which showed that her brain tumor had stabilized. The 29-year-old woman also said that her daughter’s lung has repaired itself and she is completely fine now.
The young woman reportedly told the Mirror: “That was such a massive relief, and it was so nice to hear something positive. Right now, we’re trying to get out and do nice things to make memories together, but I need to take each day as it comes. It’s hard at times and I just break down and cry. But Sienna’s lung has repaired itself and she is completely fine now. I see others with GBMs who manage to live longer, so I am clinging to the idea that I might be one of those people. I’m fighting as hard as I can and I’m staying strong for my family.”