Pregnant woman’s joy turns to heartbreak after doctors discover her ‘baby’ is actually a cancerous tumour at her 12-week scan
- Victoria and Marc Johnston were gripped with the excitement of having a baby
- Couple, 31 and 36, from Bovington, Dorset, had their pregnancy dreams dashed
- Doctors discovered Victoria was having ‘molar pregnancy’ which was cancerous
When Victoria and Marc Johnston bought a t-shirt for their daughter emblazoned with the words ‘I’m going to be a big sister’, they had no idea of the heartbreak which would leave their pregnancy dreams in tatters.
The couple, 31 and 36, from Bovington, Dorset, were gripped with the excitement of having a baby and a sibling for their firstborn, two-year-old Kaitlin.
But in a cruel twist, the 12-week scan revealed the crushing news that Victoria was not actually pregnant.
And her ‘baby’ was actually a cancerous tumour.
Housekeeper Victoria said: ‘It’s something you can’t quite describe. I went from losing a baby I was never going to have to worrying whether I would make it to see the daughter that I do have grow up.’
Victoria and Marc Johnston, 31 and 36, from Bovington, Dorset, were thrilled to be pregnant, but devastated to later discover their ‘baby’ was actually a cancerous tumour
Doctors discovered Victoria was having a ‘molar pregnancy’ – a a mass of abnormal cells which forms in the womb, in this instance cancerous, forcing her to undergo treatment
Recalling the couple’s grief, Victoria said: ‘We bought Kaitlin a t-shirt saying “I’m going to be a big sister,” and planned on sharing the news with a picture of her wearing it alongside the baby scan, but it was never meant to be’
They even bought a t-shirt for their daughter Kaitlin, two, emblazoned with the words ‘I’m going to be a big sister’
Doctors discovered that they were having a ‘molar pregnancy’ – a mass of abnormal cells which forms in the womb, in this instance cancerous.
Recalling the couple’s grief, Victoria said: ‘We bought Kaitlin a t-shirt saying “I’m going to be a big sister,” and planned on sharing the news with a picture of her wearing it alongside the baby scan, but it was never meant to be.’
Victoria, who has a step-daughter, Casey, 14, wanted another baby while they were still in Dorset, as Marc’s job in the armed forces meant they were likely to have to move.
So, when she missed her period in August 2018 and a pregnancy test was positive, she was thrilled.
She decided to keep the news a surprise to her friends until the 12-week scan, but could not resist telling her toolmaker father Phil Cooper, 51, and admin worker mother Jane, 58.
Yet amongst the delight was a creeping sense of concern which Victoria could not shake off.
She said: ‘I confided in my mum a lot during the pregnancy, as things didn’t go right.
‘For those five weeks after the pregnancy test something didn’t feel right, it’s hard to explain, but I just didn’t feel pregnant.’
Victoria, who has a step-daughter, Casey (left), 14, wanted another baby while they were still in Dorset, as Marc’s job in the armed forces meant they were likely to have to move
Victoria first met Marc in February 2016 on the dating app Tinder and they married a few months later in September
A molar pregnancy (file photo) occurs when a lump of abnormal cells grows in the womb instead of a healthy foetus
Plagued with violent sickness day and night, and a pregnancy bump that seemed ‘too big’, Victoria’s mother reassured her that it was most likely down to ‘carrying a boy.’
She added: ‘Mum insisted that all of my unusual symptoms were because this time around it was a boy and that it was normal to have a bigger bump… but I looked more like I was 17 weeks pregnant than 10.’
But in October 2018, when Victoria went for her 12-week scan at Dorset County Hospital with Marc, who she met in February 2016 on Tinder and married a few months later in September, the couple were dealt a devastating blow.
She said: ‘It all seemed fine at first, then I was asked more and more questions. The lady doing the scan told me she couldn’t see anything and went to ask a colleague for help.
‘When I saw the scan, what was supposed to be the baby looked almost like a bunch of grapes.
Kaitlin was a straightforward pregnancy, born at the same hospital on August 29, 2017, weighing 8lb 10oz
‘That’s when they took me into a separate room and explained to me they suspected I was having a molar pregnancy and that it could be cancerous.
‘There was a story line in Coronation Street at the time about a girl who was diagnosed with cervical cancer and all I could think about was her saying how she never thought it would happen to her.’
Unlike her straightforward pregnancy with Kaitlin, who was born at the same hospital on August 29, 2017, weighing 8lb 10oz, this time she was told that instead of carrying a healthy baby she was having a molar pregnancy.
She was also warned that the molar – which occurs once in every 590 pregnancies and does not result in a baby – could be cancerous.
Wasting no time, the next day she was put under general anaesthetic to have the abnormal cells removed, and two weeks later doctors confirmed they were cancerous.
Victoria said: ‘We were warned in advance that it could lead to this, but it still took a while for it all to sink in.’
Referred to west London’s Charing Cross Hospital in November 2018, Victoria had further ultrasounds and an X-Ray to see if the cancer had spread which, luckily, it had not.
Because Marc is the in the armed forces, the couple were supported by the charity SSAFA. He is now raising money to repay the charity for their help
So, on December 3, she began a six-week course of chemotherapy, given every other day, on alternate weeks.
But, following a bad reaction to her chemo drugs, which were injected, they were changed.
She said: ‘God, I was so sick from the weight loss it caused.
‘Between finding out I was pregnant, to finishing that first bout of chemotherapy, I lost over three stone.’
Her second bout of chemo was given intravenously once a week, every other week, for three months.
‘The first couple of days after the chemotherapy sessions were always hard, as I felt so tired, but at least I could start to do things towards the end of the week and the week after that,’ she said.
‘Luckily, I didn’t lose my hair. It did start to thin, but only people who knew me noticed.
Victoria fell for Marc (pictured on their wedding day with Casey) even before they met, after he asked her 20 questions on Tinder, going on to incorporate her answers into their first date by taking her for an Italian meal and to the zoo – both amongst her favourite things
‘That’s not to say it was easy. The agonising back pain, dry mouth and nausea were still unbearable.’
The worst thing of all for Victoria was not being able to look after Kaitlin when she was ill.
She said: ‘I was told by doctors because of my battered immune system I had basically no white blood cells and that I couldn’t be exposed to any bugs.
‘Kaitlin fell ill with a nasty case of the flu during my treatment and obviously all she wanted was her mummy.
‘It was unbearable not being able to look after her and she was too young to understand.’
Luckily, with the help of their parents armed forces charity SSAFA, the family were able to provide a certain level of normality for Kaitlin.
She said: ‘Poor Marc, he had a one-year-old to look after and then there was me.
What is a molar pregnancy?
A molar pregnancy occurs when a lump of abnormal cells grows in the womb instead of a healthy foetus. Some molar pregnancies can be cancerous.
A ‘complete mole’ is when there is no foetus, while a ‘partial’ occurs when a foetus starts to form but cannot develop into a baby.
Around one in 590 pregnancies in the UK, and one in 1,000 in the US, are molar.
Many women have no symptoms and are unaware they are having molar pregnancies until routine ultrasound scans.
Some may experience:
- Vaginal bleeding or dark discharge
- Severe morning sickness
- An unusually swollen abdomen
Treatment often involves removing the abnormal cells via suction.
Medication may also be necessary.
Treatment may also be required to remove any leftover abnormal cells, which can turn cancerous.
Molar pregnancies do not affect women’s chances of conceiving in the future.
Source: NHS Choices
‘But my mum moved in during the treatment and Marc’s parents, Andrea and Neil, even flew over from their home in Spain.
‘Not only that, SSAFA covered the costs for Kaitlin’s childcare – it was a godsend.’
After finishing the gruelling chemotherapy on March 23 this year, Victoria was told by doctors that the treatment had been a success, but that she would need regular monitoring for the next 10 years.
She said: ‘I’ll have to have regular blood tests now to check the cancer doesn’t return.
‘First it was once a week, now it’s down to once a month. Doctors told me in the past I would have had to have the tests for the rest of my life due to the nature of the cancer, but recent studies have shown 10 years is sufficient.’
Discussing the prospect of trying for more children, Victoria explained she is going to ‘leave it to fate.’
She added: ‘Marc has been a bit hesitant about starting a family so soon after treatment, but you never know what chemotherapy can do to your fertility and I’ve decided to see what happens… what will be, will be,’ she added.
‘We’ve all been through so much, especially Kaitlin, I’m content just focusing on us right now.’
Victoria fell for Marc even before they met, after he asked her 20 questions on Tinder, going on to incorporate her answers into their first date by taking her for an Italian meal and to the zoo – both amongst her favourite things.
The couple are now fundraising to repay SSAFA for supporting them during their nightmare.
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