Pregnant woman, 29, thought she had morning sickness before being diagnosed with fast-growing cancer
A woman thought she was suffering extreme pregnancy symptoms before medics uncovered she had a cancerous tumor.
Sophia Yasin from Middlesbrough, UK, was looking forward to welcoming her first child into the world after falling pregnant in June last year with her husband, Lewis Osborn.
However, the 29-year-old started suffering what she brushed off as 'really bad' pregnancy symptoms, where she was sick all day.
Sophia said she also had night sweats and felt itchy, but medics reassured her it was 'normal' in her first trimester 'and should ease up'.
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"I was very uncomfortable," she said. "I did have some worry but I thought it was normal for my first pregnancy."
Yet, at 14 weeks along, the young woman collapsed while at work in September and was raced to hospital.
Doctors initially thought she had pneumonia but subsequent scans and a biopsy revealed she actually had a fast-growing tumor over her heart at nearly the same size as the organ.
Tragically, she was diagnosed with pre-mediastinal B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and made the tough decision to terminate her pregnancy for chemotherapy treatment - out of fear her unborn baby would develop conditions or die before birth.
Sophia said: "Because I was pregnant I was prioritised.
"In a way because I was pregnant they found the cancer in time."
While in the hospital, Sophia recalls being given a Macmillan card by a woman on the ward.
"I burst out crying. I thought 'what has she given me this for?'"
Then when she was told by doctors that she suspected she had Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer, she said she felt 'numb'.
"I remember saying 'what does this mean for the baby?'
"They gave me the time scale of a few hours to decide what to do.
"The mass was getting big quite quick."
At 15 weeks along, she was induced and gave birth to her little girl, who she named Kainaat Pearl.
"She was absolutely beautiful and very tiny," she said of her daughter.
Immediately after the birth, she went on to have six rounds of chemo.
"I went into fight or flight mode.
"I was grieving a baby but trying to have treatment.
"I lost a lot in a short period of time.
"I went from looking at prams and cots to looking at wigs.
"I lost my hair, my baby and my old life."
Fortunately, she is now celebrating being in remission as of January this year and is commemorating her diagnosis date with a 7km sponsored walk to raise money for Lymphoma Action.
"Every step will be taking it for the baby and everyone we've lost," she added.
In her GoFundMe, the mom wrote: "Last summer, my world changed forever. I was pregnant when I was diagnosed with premediastinal B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma - an aggressive form of cancer.
"In the midst of what should have been one of the happiest times of my life, I faced the unimaginable: fighting for my life while having to say goodbye to my baby girl, Kainaat Pearl.
"The diagnosis, treatment, and loss have left deep emotional and physical scars.
"Even now, in remission, the effects of cancer are still with me, from the toll it’s taken on my body to the grief I carry daily."
As for the future, Sophia hopes she will be able to welcome another baby but has been advised to wait at least two years to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back.
Donations can be made to Sophia's GoFundMe here.
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