Mum With Brain Tumour Defies Doctors Warnings To Go On And Have Children

Woman diagnosed with a benign brain tumour at the age of 15 and warned by doctors that if she became pregnant the growth might spread has gone on two have to boys giving hope to other women having the same problem.

The Daily Mail reports:

It is a milestone in life many women dream of – discovering you are expecting your first child. A positive pregnancy test brings with it a flood of emotions, an overwhelming surge of fear giving way to excitement and anticipation.

But for Lorna-Rose Samson, her joy at the thought of becoming a mother was tainted. She was left terrified at the prospect her pregnancy could risk her life. As a teenager Miss Samson was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour. The growth was partly wrapped around her facial nerves, and as a result surgeons operating to remove the tumour were forced to leave some behind, concerned they could leave Miss Samson’s suffering facial paralysis.

Following surgery, doctors warned Miss Samson if she became pregnant her dormant tumour could begin to grow again stimulated by pregnancy hormones, so when three years later Miss Samson discovered she was expecting her first son she was consumed with fear but was resolute from the outset and refused to terminate her pregnancy, determined to have a family.

Her pregnancy was an anxious time, because doctors were unable to scan her to monitor the growth of the tumour for fear of harming her unborn baby. Despite the odds, the growth showed no signs of having spread after Miss Samson gave birth to her son Nate, now six.

Furthermore, Miss Samson and her partner, Danny, are now the proud parents to two sons after Cody arrived two years ago.

After these two pregnancie, the tumour Miss Samson nicknamed Derek in her teens, has barely changed in size.

The 25-year-old, from Wimborne Minster in Dorset, now has brain scans every two years and hopes that by sharing her story she will offer hope to other young people living with brain tumours.

The photography student said: ‘I was scared but I knew risking my brain tumour growing was worth having a family for. Doctors didn’t want to operate again due to the risk of damaging my facial nerve and paralysing the left side of my face so I would have needed radiotherapy or chemotherapy afterwards which could have been life-threatening as well as affecting my fertility. Me and my boyfriend, Danny, 27, have been together for eight years but when I fell pregnant in 2008, it was a huge shock. I was worried about how my brain tumour would react to pregnancy. I had a scan just 14 days after I gave birth and there was no significant growth. This gave me the confidence to have another baby in 2012. I gave birth to a healthy son called Cody. I was worried throughout my pregnancies that my brain tumour would grow but I just focused on keeping my body as healthy as possible.’

It was shortly after her ordeal that Miss Samson met her partner Danny. ‘He has always been so supportive and we’ve been inseparable ever since,’ she said.