A Reading mum feared she would lose her baby after discovering she was pregnant just moments before undergoing life-saving cancer surgery.
Danielle Emery, 39, was still coming to terms with her rare diagnosis of laryngeal cancer, when a routine test before her operation revealed she was 11-weeks pregnant.
She was told she had a 99% chance of experiencing a miscarriage, but despite facing cancer another two times, she went on to give birth to two healthy children with Callum, now four-years-old, and Sienna, one.
As Danielle now prepares to celebrate Mother’s Day with her children, she knows how fortunate she is and is looking forward to giving back by opening Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life in Reading on July 13 and July 14.
Danielle said: “I never thought I would get cancer but I’m proof it can happen to anyone.
“I see myself as one of the lucky ones and want to encourage people to take part in Race for Life, to help us fund research for successful treatments for all cancers.”
Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life, in partnership with headline sponsor Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, is a series of 3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer by funding crucial research.
People of all ages and abilities are welcome to take part in Race for Life at Prospect Park on Liebenrood Road.
Danielle said: “I will always do Race for Life because I feel extra lucky to be here after facing cancer three times.
“I was diagnosed after years of suffering from a hoarse voice and being told it was laryngitis.
“When I eventually saw a different GP, he suggested I have a nasal endoscopy where they put a camera through your nose to look at your voicebox.
“After the procedure, the doctor said they needed to take a biopsy because he saw something that could be quite serious.
“The Ear, Nose and Throat team took biopsies a few days later and called me back to tell me that it was cancer.
“It was the biggest shock and I wasn’t expecting it to be cancer at all. You think things like that won’t happen to you, but it did.
“My partner and my mum were with me and they asked lots of questions while I tried to absorb the news. I was terrified that it might have spread because I’d had a hoarse voice for so long. I had two children that I needed to be around for, Jake who is now 22 and Jack, now 20.
“I had a CT scan and was booked in for surgery to remove the cancer from my larynx a few days later. There was no time to process that I had cancer. On the morning of my surgery I cried with nerves, but did everything they asked me to do to prepare for the surgery, including a urine sample.
“They asked if there was a chance I could be pregnant and I just thought I was late because of the stress of all my hospital appointments and my diagnosis. I did another urine sample and got changed into my gown ready for the operation and they came back in and sat me down.
“I panicked and thought the cancer must have spread further. I was so grateful that it hadn’t, but then they broke the news that I was pregnant.
“It was another huge shock and my first fear was that I might lose the baby if I went ahead with the surgery and asked if it was still ok to have the operation. Because I was in the early stages of pregnancy, they said there was a 99% chance I might miscarry but explained just how important the operation was.
“I only had a few minutes to decide what to do, but opted to go ahead with the operation to remove the cancer. Thankfully the baby was ok and I continued to be monitored every three weeks to check the pregnancy and to ensure the cancer didn’t return. But at six months, the cancer came back.
“It meant more life-saving operations and more worry for me about the baby. I was always so relieved when the midwife let me listen to the heartbeat after each surgery.
“Amazingly Callum was born fit and healthy and I hoped that would be a fresh start for all the family. But in 2021, my symptoms re-appeared and I knew it had come back again.
“This time I was told they needed to remove my entire left vocal chord, and it was unlikely I would be able to speak. I was sad that Callum may never hear my voice again but the surgery was the best option so that I had other treatments to resort to, if the cancer ever came back again.
“An hour after my operation, my voice returned and I cried with relief that I could speak and that the cancer had gone. Since then, I’ve been cancer free and have gone on to have my fourth baby, Sienna, one.
“I appreciate the fact that I get to spend Mother’s Day with my children because I had options available to treat my cancer. Sadly I lost my cousin to a brain tumour so I know what it’s like to experience loss too.
“That’s why it’s so important for me to take part in Race for Life, to give something back, help fund research into all cancers and help others living with the disease now or in the future.”
Money raised at Race for Life has helped develop radiotherapy which benefits more than 130,000 people with cancer in the UK every year.
Elisa Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson in Berkshire, said: “We are grateful to Danielle for her support and know her story will make an impact on everyone who hears it.
“We’d love for as many people as possible across Berkshire and beyond to join us at Race for Life.
“It’s a chance to feel the power of moving together with fellow Race for Lifers and to treasure that moment of crossing the finish line.”
Since it began in 1994, more than 10 million people have taken part in Race for Life, funding 30 years of hope and progress.
Find out more and sign up at www.raceforlife.org.
