A Jimboomba mum with incurable cancer wants to make the most of the time she has left – each day a treasure with her miracle baby.
Sarah Shaddick, 28, was six months pregnant when she received news that an aggressive cancer had spread throughout her body.
Now she wants to travel with her baby Halle to every Australian state and territory, ticking off her bucket list and creating “happy memories”.
The cancer, Leiomyosarcoma, is a rare type of cancer that begins in smooth muscle tissue, which is found in many areas of the body, including the digestive system, urinary system, uterus and blood vessels.
“I’m trying to go to every state and territory with Halle before her first birthday. We’ve just got NSW, Victoria and the ACT left,” Ms Shaddick said.
“The cancerous growths have spread everywhere including my back, neck and legs.
“I had a 1.4kg mass, measuring 15cm by 20 cm growing on my stomach between my ribs.
“The mass was growing so quickly – I had my left kidney removed because of the cancer spreading and now have a scar from the left side of my body to the right side.”
Determined to fulfil her dream of becoming a mum with partner Luke Hill, Ms Shaddick was first diagnosed with the cancer at the age of 25, but initially beat the disease.
She “never gave up hope” of having a baby and was guided by a large team of specialist medical professionals at Mater Mothers’ Hospital Brisbane and Mater’s Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit throughout her pregnancy with Halle, who is now eight months old.
In November last year, she became unwell and was told the cancer had not only returned, but was no longer treatable.
After undergoing multiple rounds of intense chemotherapy while pregnant, Ms Shaddick gave birth to her “happy and healthy” first child Halle at Mater Mothers’ Hospital on March 9, at 37.5 weeks gestation and weighing 2.4kg.
Mater Cancer Care Centre senior medical oncologist Dr Catherine Shannon said Ms Shaddick’s cancer was incredibly rare to treat and had no reports of similar cases during pregnancy.
“It is safe to use certain types of chemotherapy in the second or third trimester of pregnancy without any adverse effects on the mother or baby,” Dr Shannon said.
“We had to use drugs we knew might work for her rare sarcoma and knew they were safe during pregnancy.
“The drugs worked for a while but then the sarcoma became resistant.”
Ms Shaddick is looking forward to Christmas.
“It was important to me that Halle arrived safely and that I understood the risks associated with having chemotherapy while pregnant,” she said.
“For me, undergoing chemotherapy was to be able to spend more time with Halle.
“Being told chemotherapy was an option and safe while pregnant was comforting.
“It’s not something that’s widely known, I did a lot of research and asked lots of questions. I had about six rounds of chemotherapy while pregnant and tolerated it well, and then gave birth to Halle, which was such a joy.”
Mater Cancer Care Centre coordinator and clinical nurse consultant Esther White said Ms Shaddick was straddling t he pendulum of being a mum and having an incurable diagnosis.
“She was given hope and trust and felt she was able to move forward. I am so proud of Sarah, she has fought for her future,” Ms White said.
“Two weeks after having her baby she went back to having chemotherapy treatment – no mum should have to do that.
“This mum was fighting for her life and her unborn baby.”
Ms Shaddick, who takes each day in her stride, described Halle as her “everything”.
“She is my purpose and having her feels so right,” Ms Shaddick said.
Ms Shaddick said being told by doctors her cancer was incurable was one of the hardest days of her life.
“It was a really hard day. I had been processing battling cancer while pregnant, but this was something else.
“I know this cancer is incurable and no one can tell me what’s going to happen, so I am enjoying the now.
“I have never felt like giving up, and I won’t.”
