Inspirational Stories
Renata
Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (PH + ALL)
The best thing and the worst thing to ever happen to me happened at the same time. On my birthday, I found out that I was pregnant. That explained (I thought) why I felt so run down and lethargic. My husband and I were over the moon as this was our first child.
As weeks went by, what I thought was morning sickness hit me hard. I couldn’t keep food down. My doctor gave me meds; nothing helped.
On my 10-week checkup, my OB took about 15 tubes of blood. I remember having this weird feeling as I sat in the chair. Two days later, I was told to go straight to the hospital because my white blood count was 38. As we drove, I remember thinking that this had to be a mistake.
It wasn’t, and I was diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (PH + ALL) at 10½ weeks pregnant. My treatment had to be altered so as not to harm the baby. He went through seven rounds of chemo with me. At 32 weeks pregnant, I started having migraines and running fevers. I was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. My Ommaya port had somehow gotten infected, and it needed to come out ASAP. While I was in the hospital, they monitored the baby as well. One night, his heart rate kept dropping. I was wheeled into the OR for an emergency C-section. My son, Michael, only weighed 3 lbs. 8 oz. He spent 37 days in the NICU but is completely healthy. I felt so much happiness because I was in remission, and I had a beautiful baby.
A few months later, I had a molecular relapse. My oncologist explained that my treatment hadn’t been strong enough due to my pregnancy. I needed a stem cell transplant. Fortunately, my brother was a half-match, and I had my transplant on October 7, 2022.
Two years after my diagnosis, I am striving. My son is the biggest blessing in my life. He saved my life. He is my anchor, and he keeps me grounded through this rollercoaster called blood cancer.
I am still recovering from the stem cell transplant. It’s a long road, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help of my incredible team at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital!
I had so much support, and that was needed to win this fight. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) sent me several checks which definitely helped. I want to be a beacon of hope to women who may face the same situation as me. I never gave up, even when things looked grim. Cancer is tough, but we have the power to be tougher and to defeat it!
Faith over fear!
