A woman gave birth to a ‘wonderful’ baby boy after having her ovaries removed as part of life-saving cancer treatment and says she ‘wouldn’t be here’ if it wasn’t for the birth of her only child.
Stacey Broadmeadow, 38, was shocked to discover she had been diagnosed with a rare cancer, but was even more horrified at the thought it could rob her of her chance to become a mother.
Thanks to experts at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, Ms Broadmeadow is now terminally cancer-free and has managed to harvest and freeze her eggs, leading to the birth of baby Harry.
He was born against all odds after only two embryos were found good enough for IVF treatment and the first attempt at fertility ended in miscarriage.
Speaking to Sky News, Ms Broadmeadow explained how she believes Harry “saved” her.
Stacey Broadmeadow (pictured) gave birth to ‘miracle’ baby after having her ovaries removed to treat a rare and deadly cancer
Mrs Broadmeadow told Sky News she wouldn’t be here without Harry
She said: “He’s a miracle baby and he’s also a lifesaver because without my desire to have him I probably wouldn’t be here so he’s very special.”
“I’ve always wanted to be a mother, I’ve known it since childhood.
“Harry has always been wanted.”
Ms Broadmeadow first started feeling nauseous in 2017 when she felt a sharp pain near her appendix.
This was followed by spotting between her periods, prompting her to contact her GP.
She continued: “I started having really bad pain in the area of my appendix and it turned out that my appendix had burst.
“I got a dull pain in my appendix and some bleeding between my periods which made me think something was wrong. The only reason
“I thought it was because I wanted to be a mother.
“I then went to a GP and five months later I was referred to Christie NHS Trust and that’s when my cancer journey really started and it really took shape.”
An oncologist told me. Broadmeadow suspected she had a very rare cancer called Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) and warned her about losing her ovaries.
PMP is a very rare cancer that starts in the lining of the appendix, where it produces a jelly-like substance that breaks down, cells and mucus in the stomach.
Symptoms include loss of appetite, unexpected weight gain and abdominal pain.
Ms Broadmeadow said: “I was devastated, absolutely devastated. I literally just thought, ‘Well, this is it. I’ll never be a mother. I’ll never have the dream I’ve always wanted.'”
“But luckily my consultant was very positive and gave me some hope that she could fix it and that the prognosis could be good.”
It took Ms Broadmeadow around three to four months to recover from the operation and was forced to seek shelter from the Covid pandemic to protect her health.
Then, in 2021, the process of creating baby Harry began.
She said: “You’d think 17 eggs was quite a lot, but it really wasn’t.
“They thawed them and I had about eight usable eggs.
“We managed to get four embryos, but only two made it to the next stage. So then I only had two embryos.
“One was misplaced, but unfortunately I miscarried with it.
“And then the other embryo, which was Harry – they told me it wasn’t the most viable embryo, but they put it in the freezer anyway.
“And so after I miscarried, I thought the dream was over and I’d never have a baby, but I was like, ‘Well, I have one last chance, I’m going to try.’
Between surgeries to remove the cancer, her eggs were removed and frozen if she was healthy enough to undergo IVF treatment one day. Pictured: Mrs Broadmeadow and baby Harry
It took her three to four months to recover from the surgery and then her journey to motherhood began
The last embryo was transferred in February last year and Ms Broadmeadow couldn’t believe her luck when she became pregnant.
Harry was born last November.
“He’s an absolute wonder,” she said. Every time I look at him I think how lucky I am.
“For me to be diagnosed for what I have and endure everything I’ve done and he’s this little embryo that I’ve been told isn’t the best … I call him my little Nemo.”
“In the movie Finding Nemo, Nemo was the last egg left. So he is my little Nemo. He is my little miracle. He is just so special.
“He turned my world upside down, life is for living now.”
Ms Broadmeadow, who is on maternity leave from her job as a theater manager at the Palace and Opera House in Manchester, said her life had completely changed since Harry was born.
“My goal in life was my career and I worked 12, 13, 14 hour days most days of the week,” she said.
“Whereas now it’s completely turned on its head for the better.
“I feel like I’m going to have so many adventures with this little guy.
“We’re going to have so much fun. My life will be more balanced, it will be full of love and happiness.”
Mrs Broadmeadow’s mother Susan is also “in her element”.
Mrs Broadmeadow said: “She already has two grown-up grandchildren, one aged 24 and one aged 22, so it’s great to have another baby in the family.”
Nurse Rebecca Halstead from Christie’s assisted Ms Broadmeadow through her fertility treatment.
The lead clinical nurse, who specializes in colorectal and peritoneal oncology, said: “Being there for patients like Stacey is why I do what I do.
“PMP is rare, leaving many patients undiagnosed or receiving inappropriate and inadequate treatment before being properly diagnosed.
“Here at Christie, we not only have the expertise and technology to treat these patients today, but we are also conducting research that will benefit patients in the future.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
