Mom dies of cancer after forgoing chemo to save unborn daughter

Mom dies of cancer after forgoing chemo to save unborn daughter

[link to www.lifesitenews.com]

NEW YORK, April 1, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A New York woman made the ultimate sacrifice last month when, discovering that she was both pregnant and that her cancer had returned, refused abortion and cancer treatment to give her unborn daughter a chance to live.

Elizabeth Joice, who her husband Max describes as a "tenacious fighter and the personification of strength and grace," died of cancer on March 9. However, the child she and Max longed for, though not due until March, was born by C-section in January so that Liz could begin cancer treatment as soon as possible.

Liz had been diagnosed in 2010 with an aggressive and rare form of cancer after an MRI showed that what doctors thought was a herniated disc was actually a tumor.

She underwent chemotherapy, a surgery and then more chemotherapy, and was ultimately declared cancer-free.

Doctors told her that the odds of conceiving a child were extremely slim – but having already overcome so much, the young couple refused to be dissuaded. And last summer, to the delight and amazement of friends and family, they announced they were pregnant.

Then came the devastating news that Liz's cancer had returned, confronting the couple with a heart-rending choice. She could abort the child and begin cancer treatment immediately, continue the pregnancy and undergo cancer treatment (which would endanger the life of their unborn child but possibly save Liz's life), or forgo treatment so the baby could grow safely but put Liz’s life in danger.

Liz chose the last option.

“Having a kid was one of the most important things in the world to her,” Max told the NY Post.

“She said, ‘If we terminate the pregnancy and it turns out I can’t have a baby [later], I’ll be devastated.' She knew this might be her only chance.”

By late January, the situation became very dire. The cancer was spreading rapidly, and Liz’s doctors advised that treatment could not wait any longer.

On January 23, Liz gave birth to a healthy baby girl who they named Lily Anne.