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To what extent would you sacrifice for the sake of your loved ones? One would put her life on the line to let another one live. A mother was supposed to begin a new life with her boyfriend and son, expecting a bright future ahead with a baby on the way ready to start her family, was all changed in just one instance.
Ashley Bridges from Canada started having a painful knee that she decided to have it checked which happened several times. The doctor assumed it to be arthritis or bursitis and so she went on with her everyday activities until she was rushed to the emergency due to severe knee pain. She had an X-ray and her world turned upside down with the disheartening news. Bridges at 24 could not believe what had happened, for being diagnosed with bone cancer known as osteosarcoma.
After having surgery to replace her knee, the next step was chemotherapy. Everything had been according to the procedure except for one thing—they were expecting a baby. Bridges could not bear sacrificing her baby from its side effects to save her own life so she did the opposite as expressed in an interview, “I’m not going to kill a healthy baby because I’m sick.” She delayed treatment until the baby was born.
While the baby had grown in her womb, the cancer cells spread in Bridges’ entire body including her brain. The doctor advised her to give birth to the baby at her eight month so that she could receive treatment immediately. A healthy baby girl named Paisley was successfully delivered and people around Bridges believed it as a heroic deed and a selfless act from a mother’s love choosing to save her baby’s life instead of hers.
The cycle of going through depression and getting back on her feet was a tough journey. Even with chemotherapy, the doctor said she had only months to live. Months had passed and she thanked God that she was able to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, her “magical” wedding and currently aiming for her first’s child’s birthday. She is creating memories with memorable photos for her family especially her children who will grow knowing their mother who loved them dearly and fought so hard for them. She now occasionally updates about her life through a fundraiser website where she posted news regarding improvement in her condition saying:
“Just got the call from my doctor about my recent scans… I’m crying I’m so happy, it hasn’t spread to my legs like we thought and the ones in my head haven’t grown and the one that was causing me to blind seems completely gone. The ones in my hips and lower spine have grown so little there really isn’t a difference !!!! Thank GOD”
