Breast cancer woman defies the odds to have baby

Evelyn Evans, 38, had both her breasts removed and undergone chemotherapy for the cancer, which had spread to her lung and chest wall.

Doctors advised her that the chemotherapy meant she was highly unlikely to conceive at all.

But she gave birth to Isobel Jennifer Alexandra Evans, who weighed in at a healthy 8lbs just over a week ago.

Speaking of the birth which defied all the odds, she said:

'It was amazing. She was born to the Nutcracker Suite and all the staff were brilliant.

'Nothing could prepare you for it and we were absolutely thrilled.'

'It was something that at times I thought I would never experience and I was just looking forward to helping someone grow up in the world, looking forward to the future.'

Mrs Evans found a lump in her breast in 1988 when she was studying Classics at Oxford University.

A year later it was diagnosed as malignant. The cancer came back several times so in 2001 Evelyn had a double mastectomy. But for her, losing both breasts was not as awful as not being able to conceive.

'It is much more crushing than anything else, the thought of losing your fertility. Anything else is bearable,'

Two years later, Mrs Evans met her husband Peter, a lawyer, and the couple who live in a village outside Bicester, Oxon were keen to start a family.

Their options were limited, however.

Mrs Evans was told chances of conception were remote if she froze her eggs as they could already be damaged.

Using a donor egg was out of the question as the wait was too long - and the fertility drugs necessary could stimulate the cancerous cells to grow.

Adoption is ruled out for people who have suffered life-threatening medical conditions and because of her age, her biological clock was ticking.

There was also a further risk that any baby conceived could be born severely deformed. Her oncologist agreed to support her attempt to have a child, but told her she would have to come off chemotherapy during the first three months.

Mrs Evans resolved to carry on.

'I thought that however long it takes, if you want something badly enough, it may take a long time but I would never, never give up. My instinct told me I was going to be a mother,' she said.

Mrs Evans, a former secondary school teacher, who has since taken up health journalism, received reflexology - a type of foot massage - to encourage her to ovulate.

She also took herbal remedies to reduce lingering side-effects of the chemotherapy including burning sensations in her feet. Within six weeks of coming off chemotherapy, Isobel was conceived.

'It was absolutely awesome. I was very nervous about losing her but I wanted to think positively.'

'It happened much faster than anyone expected, faster than many healthy women in their late 30s.'

Now Mrs Evans wants other women with cancer to preserve the hope that they can have a child.

She said: I was supposed to be very high risk.

'Several people said to me I would never have children but that just made me more determined than ever.'

'The cancer is always present but it's stable and I can't see the point in sitting down and worrying about what might happen.'

'You have to live your life and that's what I'm trying to do. I'm looking forward to seeing Isobel's wedding day.'