When Jade Devis was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer during the first trimester of her pregnancy, she was warned that a difficult and dangerous road was ahead.
After surgery, chemotherapy and four months of worry, Devis, 36, gave birth in July to her “miracle child,” Bradley. And Devis herself has responded very well to treatment for her aggressive cancer.
“Devis finishes her final round of infusion therapy at the end of November, but she’s grateful to have her son,” officials at Loma Linda University Cancer Center, where she underwent treatment, said in a written statement. “Her doctors are confident she will be cancer-free at the end of her treatment.”
A scan conducted late last month showed no signs the cancer had spread, hospital officials said.
The journey hasn’t been an easy one, the mother said.
“It is surreal to remember that my pregnancy had an element of extraordinary fear,” Devis said. “I am blessed when I look at my son, and I cannot ask for more than that.”
Devis said she first noticed a lump on her breast in March. She was initially told it was likely a symptom of pregnancy, but she persisted and asked for a biopsy. She was soon diagnosed with on of the rarest forms of the disease: stage 2 triple-negative breast cancer.
With no guarantee that the life-saving treatments wouldn’t interfere with the pregnancy, Devis said she did not know how to feel, at first.
“That is when something rose up inside of me,” she said. “I wanted to keep my baby because I would not allow a stranger to tell me my child’s fate.” That’s when she sought treatment at Loma Linda.
“His heart was beating. I could feel him inside. He was fighting, so I had to fight, too,” Devis said.
Devis underwent a lumpectomy, which posed risks to her baby, as well as multiple rounds of chemotherapy at the Loma Linda University Cancer Center.
“Going through chemotherapy is tough for anyone, and we do our very best to support our patients in every way we can at Loma Linda University Cancer Center,” said Devis’ doctor, breast cancer specialist Gayathri Nagaraj. “In Jade’s situation we had to be doubly cautious and alert to ensure the safety of the patient and the baby. I am extremely glad to be working with an amazing team who all came together to make this possible.”
