A young woman was giving birth to her second baby when midwives made a startling discovery. Now, she has months to live. When Alex Stewart was in labor with her son Teddy in 2025, the health professionals “found a lump,”.
“They were unsure what it was, they initially thought it was a varicose vein, and because I didn’t bleed a lot through labor, they weren’t concerned,” Alex, 28, continues.
“[And] I wasn’t too concerned about the lump because the midwives were not concerned,” she adds. “I was also in the ‘newborn bubble’ and enjoying having my son.”
During her eight-week follow-up appointment with her general practitioner, Alex learned “the lump was still there,” and she was referred to other doctors for a biopsy and an MRI, as well as blood tests.
Alex — who shares her now 8-month-old son Teddy and a 3-year-old daughter Elsie with her husband, Joe Stewart — then got a cervical cancer diagnosis.
“I was really shocked. I had no symptoms at all,” she revealed. “Every healthcare professional I met told me it was unlikely to be cancer because of my age and because I was healthy, so to get the diagnosis was very numbing.”
“I took a long time to come to terms with it. I also had a lot of questions as to why it was happening to me and why it was happening now, when I was so young and had just given birth,” adds Alex.
Alex underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment, but her cancer still spread. She was eventually told that her illness had become terminal, and she was given six months to two years to live.
“I was really shocked and upset,” the mom of two recalls of getting her terminal diagnosis. “My first thought was, ‘How would the children cope without having a mom?’ My mind was racing with all the things I would have to put in place to make this process as easy as possible for them.”
“I also felt how unfair life could be. I was enjoying being a parent to two children, and this was being taken away from me,” she continues. “I didn’t understand how I could be so young and be given a terminal diagnosis. I felt I had so much I wanted to do in my life, and this was now being cut short.”
“I also felt very upset for my husband, as we haven’t had our honeymoon yet, and we had so much planned together. And now we are unable to do most of these things,” adds Alex.
Alex is currently on her second cycle of chemotherapy. Navigating those treatments while being a wife and a mom to two young children, she revealed, “has been really difficult.”
“Every day is different. Sometimes I have energy and can do a lot, other times I am so tired I just want to sleep,” she explains. “My parents have been amazing as we have moved in with them, and they are providing all the extra support. This has allowed me to spend as much time as possible with my children without worrying about other things like housework. I will forever be grateful for this.”
Alex says her children are what keep her moving forward amid her terminal cancer journey. “Without them, I don’t know how I would get through the treatment,” she says.
Adds Alex: “Every day, I fight a little bit more so that I can spend as much time with them and make as many memories as possible.”
When it comes to how she juggles motherhood with dealing with her illness, Alex, who worked as a children’s nurse, says it isn’t an easy feat.
“I miss doing the simple things for my children, as I am so tired and in pain. I struggle to pick up my children, to take my daughter to daycare, to make them dinner,” she says. “All the things you find boring in everyday life, I miss because I can’t do them anymore.”
Specifically, when it comes to her daughter, who is old enough to realize something is going on, Alex says, “She has good days and bad days, but on the whole she is handling this better than we expected.”
“We are getting a play therapist to help support her through this journey and make the process as easy as possible for her,” she continues. “When I lost my hair, she took this really well, and it didn’t faze her. She said I still look pretty even without hair. We try to include her in everything so nothing comes as a shock.”
Alex’s friends, Jessie, Becky, Lucy and Megan, have since set up a GoFundMe for her and her family. “The funds raised will go directly to them, and they will use this money however they feel is right,” the friends wrote on the fundraising page.
Now, Alex wants others to learn from her journey, and to always take their health seriously. “Even though my pap smear test was clear and I was vaccinated against HPV, I want everyone to make sure they are vaccinated against HPV and are up to date with their smears,” she revealed. “I am upset that they have extended the smear to every five years and feel that they should be as regular as possible to catch this horrible disease. I know smears aren’t nice, but they only last a few minutes, and they can help prevent cancer.”
As for others who may be facing — or may face — a similar situation as hers, the Essex resident’s advice is: “Remain positive and spend as much time with your family making memories. On the good days, make the most of it — go out, take photos and make those memories.”
“Remaining positive is also crucial and keeps you going, but also take time for yourself and allow yourself to be upset and angry,” Alex adds. “You didn’t choose the diagnosis, but you have to make the most of a bad situation.”
The post Expecting Joy, Facing Tragedy: Woman Learns Life-Threatening Diagnosis While Giving Birth first appeared on Voxtrend News.