Sheila Downing, a 33-year-old American woman, was 17 weeks pregnant when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. After quickly undergoing an operation, the doctors presented Sheila with a heart-wrenching set of options[1]: start chemotherapy immediately, putting her baby at risk, or delay radiation therapy until delivery to protect the baby while putting her own life at risk. The young woman opted for the second option, with the support of her husband. Her son Josiah was born in August, and Sheila decided to postpone her treatment even further so she could breastfeed him. In early 2019, she began chemo and radiotherapy. It is still too early to determine how her case will develop.
[1] She has a slow-growing tumour, which could not be completely removed during surgery.
Daily Mail (15/03/2019)