Sophia Yasin, a resident of Middlesbrough, UK, initially believed she was experiencing severe pregnancy symptoms until medical professionals found she had a cancerous tumor.
In June of last year, Sophia and her husband, Lewis Osborn, were eagerly anticipating the arrival of their first child. But as the pregnancy progressed, the 29-year-old began experiencing what she thought were intense pregnancy symptoms, including persistent sickness throughout the day.
Sophia also experienced night sweats and itchiness, but she was reassured by medics that these were typical symptoms for her first trimester and should subside. “I was very uncomfortable,” she explained. “I did have some worry but I thought it was normal for my first pregnancy.”
At 14 weeks pregnant, Sophia collapsed at work and was immediately taken to the hospital.
Initially diagnosed with pneumonia, further scans and a biopsy revealed that she had a rapidly growing tumor near her heart, almost the same size as the organ itself.
Her diagnosis was pre-mediastinal B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which led to the heart-wrenching decision to terminate her pregnancy to begin chemotherapy. The fear was that her unborn child might develop complications or not survive till birth.
Sophia expressed, “Because I was pregnant I was prioritised,” acknowledging that the pregnancy allowed for the timely discovery of her cancer.
During her hospital stay, Sophia was handed a Macmillan card by another patient on the ward.
“I burst out crying. I thought ‘what has she given me this for?'” she recalled. Upon learning from doctors that she might have Hodgkin’s lymphoma, she described feeling ‘numb.’ “I remember saying ‘what does this mean for the baby?'” she shared, adding that she had only a few hours to make a decision.
At 15 weeks, she was induced and gave birth to a baby girl named Kainaat Pearl. “She was absolutely beautiful and very tiny,” Sophia said.
After her daughter’s birth, Sophia underwent six rounds of chemotherapy.
“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,” she explained.
“I went from looking at prams and cots to looking at wigs. I lost my hair, my baby and my old life.”
Fortunately, Sophia is now in remission as of January this year and is marking her diagnosis anniversary by undertaking a 7km sponsored walk to raise funds for Lymphoma Action. “Every step will be taking it for the baby and everyone we’ve lost,” she stated.
In her GoFundMe message, Sophia 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 she looks forward, Sophia hopes to have another child but has been advised to wait at least two years to minimize the risk of the cancer returning.
Donations to support Sophia can be made through her GoFundMe page.