Mom With Rare Cancer Gives Birth to Miracle Baby But Told She Only Has Two Months to Live

Mom With Rare Cancer miracle baby atypical chronic myeloid leukemia bone marrow transplant

By Camille Hutchison , Parent Herald Jul 03, 08:38 pm

Kelly Butler was diagnosed with cancer and told by her doctor that she may not witness her daughter grow up as she was given only two months to live.

Butler and her husband, Dave, were devastated as they tried for almost six years to have a baby. They also attempted a round of IVF which unfortunately failed, Birmingham reported.

The Butlers were delighted to discover in 2020 that they had conceived naturally. However, the excitement turned into devastation upon knowing that she had cancer.

Kelly was given the heartbreaking news that she had a rare form of cancer usually seen in older patients when she went for a routine pregnancy blood test while she was 27 weeks pregnant.

She no longer has enough time to enjoy being a mother as she has constantly been undergoing treatments, one of which was a bone marrow transplant which sadly didn't work.

Miracle Baby

Kelly was diagnosed with atypical chronic myeloid leukemia, a type of cancer seen in patients in their 70s.

One of Kelly's close friends, Sandra Clarke, said, "Her white blood cells are stable at the moment. But there's a medical trial she can go on, but only once she gets more poorly...but once the count starts going down, that will mean that she is dying and that is the horrible reality."

According to Clarke, the IVF made Kelly ill, and she gave up when she found out it didn't work. Kelly later told her she was pregnant and had a high white blood cell count when she went for one of the blood tests.

Risking everything for a child

Despite knowing that she may not see her daughter grow due to her sickness, Kelly still chose to deliver the baby.

According to Clarke, one of Kelly's doctors said that a second transplant would kill Kelly, and another said that the NHS wouldn't fund a second one, but they think it isn't likely to work.

Despite that, Kelly went ahead, seeing it as the start of something new.

Clarke helped her set up the GoFundMe page, which has already raised over £30,000 towards the £250,000 goal. She almost gave up upon knowing the amount the transplant and prognosis would cost, but the GoFundMe page gave her a beacon of hope.

They don't know how often the transplant and prognosis are needed, but they wanted to raise a fund as much as possible, so they are ready once something becomes available, Mirror reported.