A woman gave birth to a ‘miracle child’ after having her ovaries removed as part of life-saving cancer treatment.
Stacey Broadmeadow, 38, was shocked to discover she had a rare cancer, but was even more terrified at the thought that it would rob her of her chance at motherhood.
Now, thanks to experts at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester, Ms Broadmeadow is free from deadly cancer and managed to 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 fertility attempt ended in miscarriage.
Mrs Broadmeadow, from Stockport in Greater Manchester, said: ‘Harry has always been wanted.
Stacey Broadmeadow (pictured) had a ‘miracle’ baby after having her ovaries removed to treat a rare and deadly cancer
“Since I was little, I’ve always wanted a baby. He’s just great!’
Ms Broadmeadow first started feeling bad in 2017 when she felt a sharp pain near her appendix.
This was followed by spotting between her periods, which prompted her to contact her GP.
She said: ‘When I had the spotting I thought ‘something doesn’t feel right’ and normally I wouldn’t care but knowing I wanted to be a mother in the future I thought I could do better go and let you check out.’
A GP ruled out pregnancy and sent Mrs Broadmeadow for an ultrasound where the radiologist noticed any unusual signs.
She then underwent a CT scan and blood work, which included checking for cancer markers.
During further scans, experts noticed fluid in Ms Broadmeadow’s uterus, which led to an MRI and referral to the Christie.
An oncologist suspected Ms. Broadmeadow had a very rare cancer called pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) and warned she could lose her ovaries.
In between surgeries to remove the cancer, her eggs were harvested and frozen in case she was one day well enough to undergo IVF treatment. Pictured: Mrs Broadmeadow and baby Harry
Mrs Broadmeadow said: ‘I was devastated, absolutely devastated. I literally just thought, ‘Well, that’s it. I will never be a mother. I’ll never have the dream I’ve always wanted.”
“But luckily my consultant was very positive and gave me a little bit of hope that she could sort it out and the prognosis could be good.”
PMP is a very rare cancer that begins in the lining of the appendix, where it produces a jelly-like substance that bursts out and spreads cells and mucus around the stomach.
Symptoms include loss of appetite, unexpected weight gain, and abdominal pain.
Ms Broadmeadow underwent an initial operation at Christie’s but was told she would also need a second operation to remove her spleen, gallbladder, layers of tissue, fallopian tubes and both ovaries.
This would be followed by placing heated chemotherapy (HIPEC) directly into the abdomen to kill any remaining tumor cells.
Ms Broadmeadow said: ‘I was lucky enough to have my eggs harvested on the NHS between the two surgeries.
‘I went to St Mary’s Hospital (in Manchester) and had two rounds of egg freezing.
‘I managed to get hold of 17 eggs, for which I am very grateful.
“I had two rounds of egg harvesting and then I had the second major surgery, which lasted eight hours.”
Ms Broadmeadow took about three to four months to recover from the surgery and was forced to shield herself from the Covid pandemic to protect her health.
Then, in 2021, the process of creating baby Harry began.
She said, “You would think 17 eggs is quite a lot, but it really wasn’t.
“They thawed them and I was left with about eight usable eggs.
‘We managed to get four embryos, but only two reached the next level. So then I only had two embryos.
It took three to four months for her to recover from the surgery, and then her journey to motherhood began
“One was transferred, but unfortunately I had a miscarriage with that.
‘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 had a miscarriage, I sort of thought the dream was over and I was never going to have a baby, but I thought ‘well, I have one last chance, I’ll try.'”
The last embryo was transferred back in February last year and Mrs Broadmeadow couldn’t believe her luck when she became pregnant.
Harry was born last November.
“He’s an absolute miracle,” she said. Every time I look at him I think how lucky I am.
“For me to be diagnosed with what I had, and to endure everything I did, and for him to be that little embryo that I was told wasn’t the best… I call him my little Nemo.
“In the movie Finding Nemo, Nemo was the last egg left. So he’s my little Nemo. He’s my little miracle. He’s just so special.’
Ms Broadmeadow, who is on maternity leave from her job as theater manager at the Palace and Opera House in Manchester, said her life has changed completely since Harry was born.
“My kind of goal in life was my career and I worked 12, 13, 14 hours a day, most days a week,” she said.
“While now it has been completely turned upside down 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 adult grandchildren, one aged 24 and one aged 22, so it’s wonderful to have another baby in the family.”
Specialist nurse Rebecca Halstead, from the Christie, supported Mrs Broadmeadow during her fertility treatment.
The lead clinical nurse specialist in colorectal and peritoneal oncology said: ‘Being there for patients like Stacey is why I do what I do.
‘PMP is rare, so many patients remain undiagnosed or receive inappropriate and inadequate treatment before being properly diagnosed.
“Here at the Christie, we not only have the expertise and technology to treat these patients today, but we also conduct research that will benefit patients in the future.”