I found out I was pregnant hours before life saving surgery to remove cancer - I had to choose between my life or my baby Danielle Emery, 39, had laryngeal cancer when she discovered she was pregnant READ MORE: Mother, 39, thought she had the flu - in fact it was incurable cancer By Maria Okanrende For Mailonline Published: 12:31 BST, 22 July 2024 | Updated: 12:48 BST, 22 July 2024 e-mail View comments A hero mum who fought cancer three times has told how she learned she was pregnant just moments before undergoing surgery to remove a tumour. Danielle Emery, 39, from Reading, was suffering with a sore throat but assumed it was a simple cold - that is until she was handed a shock diagnosis of laryngeal cancer. Laryngeal cancer is a type of cancer that affects the voice box or larynx, a part of the throat found at the entrance of the windpipe, also known as the trachea.
Utterly terrified about the future, the carer was given hope when emergency surgery was planned to tackle the disease. However Danielle was left stunned when doctors also informed her she was 11 weeks pregnant. Given just a few minutes to make the agonising choice to save her life or that of her baby's, she chose to have the surgery, risking a '99 per cent' chance of miscarriage in the process.
Hero mum Danielle Emery, 39, who fought cancer three times, has told how she learned she was pregnant just moments before undergoing surgery to remove a tumour (Pictured left: Danielle gives birth to her first child Callum; right: Danielle poses with her son months later) After beating cancer three times Danielle ran the Race For Life for Cancer Research UK with some friends But for the first-time mum, the decision would turn out to be her best one yet, as she welcomed her 'miracle baby' Callum months later. 'There was a 99 per cent chance I would miscarry as I was quite early on in my pregnancy' explained Danielle. Read More Mum-of-one, 39, thought she had the flu.
.. but it was terminal cancer, just like Sarah Harding had 'It was explained how important the operation was to save my life.
I had only a few minutes to make the most difficult decision I've ever had to make - but without me, there would be no baby anyway. 'I went ahead and fortunately, it was successful at removing all the cancer. And my baby was fine, too'.
Danielle received the shock of her life when she was diagnosed with cancer in April 2019. She recalled at the time feeling lowly and having to strain her voice, leading her to make a visit to the doctor. However doctors initially suggested it was laryngitis - a condition that causes your vocal cords to become irritated or swollen - before confirming that it was, in fact, laryngeal cancer.
During the ordeal, Danielle remembered her period being late, but she put it down to mounting stress. Danielle was overjoyed to welcome her 'miracle baby' Callum - pictured here as a newborn baby in hospital Danielle and her partner, Tony, (pictured) 39, both from Reading, are all smiles with their newborn baby Callum Danielle was suffering with a sore throat but assumed it was a simple cold - that is until she was handed a shock diagnosis of laryngeal cancer She and her partner, Tony, 39, hadn't been actively trying for a baby and although overjoyed, there was a lot of uncertainty. A few months later they would find out why.
Danielle was stunned when she learned the cancer had returned just six months into her pregnancy. But this time around she feared not for herself, but for the future of her unborn baby. 'I wasn't worried about myself anymore, but I was petrified about the safety of my baby' she said.
'I cried when I heard that it had come back, as it wasn't the news I wanted to hear. I feared it had spread further in my throat, but luckily it had just come back on the left vocal cord again. 'I was very scared that going under anesthetic again would harm my baby and I'd risk never being a mum.
Being pregnant made me strong, though, and determined to fight the disease'. Danielle had to make the agonising choice to spare her life or that of her baby's, she chose her future child; risking a '99 per cent' chance of miscarriage in the process (Pictured: Callum as a toddler) The then family-of-three pose together during a day trip outdoors Danielle would go on to have more invasive surgery as well as laser removal, which aimed to remove the cancer permanently. 'Luckily, my baby's heartbeat was strong and once again, I was given the all-clear' she chuffed.
The couple welcomed little Callum in 2020, now age four. They focused on being new parents, and vowed to put the trauma behind them as life was finally looking up - or so they thought. In June 2020, Danielle's cancer returned for the third time: 'I was devastated, as I was enjoying being a mum to my miracle baby' she said.
'I kept thinking: "why me? why is life so cruel to me?" I thought I was finally getting my life back on track, but cancer was ruining it. Danielle pictured at her baby shower after being given her first all clear from cancer. It would return two more times Callum, now a proud big brother, poses with his baby sister, Sienna-Rose Danielle has shared her story 'so others who have worrying symptoms will seek advice, get checked and won't leave it until it's too late'.
(Pictured: The family-of-four enjoy a recent pumpkin ride) 'My biggest fear was my little boy never hearing his mum's voice and I couldn't look to the future, as I didn't know what it would hold for me'. As doctors feared the cancer would keep returning, a difficult decision to remove her vocal cord was made. Danielle faced the risk of never being able to speak again, but luckily, her voice returned within hours.
Now she's been officially cancer-free for three years and has since run the Race For Life for Cancer Research UK, as well as welcomed her second child; Sienna-Rose, one. The mother-of-two added: 'I'm sharing my story so others who have worrying symptoms will seek advice, get checked and won't leave it until it's too late. 'Cancer kills, you lose loved ones like I have and I'm very lucky to be a survivor.
'I'm grateful for life and extremely happy to have two beautiful and healthy children'. Throat cancer: What is it, how is it treated and what is the survival rate? What is it? Throat cancer is a general term that describes several different types of cancer that start in the throat (pharynx) or voice box (larynx). Symptoms include ear pain or a sore throat, a lump in the neck, difficulty swallowing, change in your voice or speech, unexplained weight loss, a cough, shortness of breath and a feeling of something stuck in the throat.
It can be caused by a range of risk factors including smoking, drinking alcohol and viral infections, including human papillomavirus (HPV) and Epstein-Barr virus. How is it treated? Pharyngeal cancers are generally treated with radiation therapy combined with chemotherapy. Surgery is usually required only if the tumour returns after chemotherapy.
Treatment for laryngeal cancer depends on the size of the tumour. Early stages can be treated with radiotherapy and surgery alone, while more advanced disease may also require chemotherapy or other targeted cancer medicines. Surgery can involve removing part of the voice box that is affected by cancer.
The ability to speak and breathe normally can be affected, especially if all of the voice box is removed. What is the survival rate? If the pharyngeal cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the overall five-year survival rate for all people is 85 per cent. Statistics on larynx cancer survival are only available for men.
This is because so few women are diagnosed with cancer of the larynx. Around 90 per cent will survive their cancer for five years or more after diagnosis of stage 1 laryngeal cancer. Stage 1 laryngeal cancer is only in one part of the larynx and the vocal cords are still able to move.
The cancer has not spread to nearby tissues, lymph nodes or other organs. Sources: Cancer Research UK, Breast Cancer Now, Mayo Clinic Share or comment on this article: I found out I was pregnant hours before life saving surgery to remove cancer - I had to choose between my life or my baby e-mail Add comment.
