'Infertile' woman in shock after cancer scare turns out to be surprise pregnancy

23 July 2023 , 13:35

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One mum was told she was 'infertile' but a cancer scare led to her learning she was actually pregnant

A mum said a nurse was left speechless after she found shadows on her scan - but her cancer scare turned out to be an unexpected pregnancy.

Sarah Pickles, 41, was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer.

This is a rare and hard-to-treat subtype of the disease and led to her having a double mastectomy and reconstruction following her 2014 diagnosis.

Then in 2017, she had a “scare” when doctors found “shadows” on her spine, and thought the cancer might have returned and spread.

Fearing the worst she was quickly booked in for a number of scans and tests to try and confirm what it was.

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She was due to have a CT scan, and they had to have her take a pregnancy test, even though she knew she was “infertile”.

Sarah Pickles, her husband Dave, and their children Poppie (left), Lillie, and Monty (right) (Sarah Pickles)

But as Sarah sat their alone, her husband taking a group hiking on Everest, she would receive news that would change her life.

Speaking to the Liverpool ECHO, Sarah said: "In 2017 I had a scare, they found shadows on my spine. I was having a few health issues, so I just flagged it up because I am quite in tune with my body and I went for numerous tests.

"I was due to have a CT scan and they had to do a pregnancy test even though I didn't really need one because I was infertile. I knew I was infertile because I went for IVF before I started chemotherapy treatment and they told me I had a 1% chance of conceiving."

However, Sarah who was already a mum to Lillie, now aged 13, was given some very unexpected news and was told she was pregnant with son Monty, now six, and also later went to have her other daughter Poppie, now four, in 2018.

She said: "They did the pregnancy test and they did the CT scan and the nurse took ages to come back.

“I was sat there on my own because my husband is a mountaineer and he was taking a group up to Everest base camp.

"She came back and said 'I don't know how to tell you this but you're pregnant'. That's where Monty comes into it and he is the miracle baby. I still have the shadows but they're benign, so they are still there but they are benign.

"So I had further testing and eventually I did find out they weren't cancerous. But at the time when I found out I was pregnant I still didn't know whether they were or not. Then I went on to have Poppie in 2018."

Sarah said her children are "angels" and "saved her life in some way" during her cancer journey.

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The mum-of-three also wrote a book following her diagnosis, which became an Amazon bestseller, to help others who were on a similar path.

Now Sarah has organised and will host the first Butterfly Breast Cancer Awards to celebrate women affected by the disease and those who have helped them along their journey.

She said: "What stood out for me was the way women who have experienced breast cancer can flourish, emerging with renewed sense of purpose and achievements, harnessing the opportunity to transcend from their old form and create a new beginning, like butterflies.”

There are a number of categories for awards including the inspirational empowerment award, innovation award, community award, charity impact award, judges' choice award and transformed life award.

To find out more information on the ceremony, please click here.

Olivia Williams