Cumbrian woman 'flabbergasted' after giving birth to miracle boy

Maddison Hewer didn’t think she would be able to get pregnant naturally following gruelling treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

However, she is now a mum to baby boy, Ezra and he will be joining her on the start line of Cancer Research UK's Race for Life in Carlisle on Sunday, July 7.

Maddison and Ezra (Image: Supplied)Maddison, from Whitehaven, was busy studying for her A-levels in 2021 when she became aware of a small hard lump on her chest.

She was initially prescribed antibiotics, but the lump didn’t go away. Maddison also developed a swollen gland in her neck, which her friend’s mum, who was a nurse practitioner, suggested she should get checked out.

A blood test immediately showed inflammation and Maddison was booked in for an ultrasound test the same night followed by an MRI at West Cumberland Hospital.

She and her mum Stacy were ‘devastated’ when doctors took them into a quiet room and suggested they thought Maddison had either Hodgkin’s or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Following a biopsy at the Newcastle Royal Infirmary, Maddison was given the Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis just one week before she celebrated her 18th birthday.

Initial tests on tissue removed from her neck and armpits indicated Maddison’s cancer was at stage two. However, when the lump was removed from her chest, she was diagnosed at stage four and was told she needed chemotherapy immediately.

Maddison Hewer in treatment (Image: Supplied)Maddison was given the agonising decision of opting for intense chemotherapy and being left infertile, or having a weaker form of chemotherapy and being left with a good chance of getting pregnant - but also the likelihood of the cancer returning.

Maddison had always wanted children and was veering towards opting for the less intense form of chemotherapy, while her mum Stacy wanted her to ensure the cancer would never return by selecting the more intense course of treatment.

Luckily, her quick-thinking consultant intervened and despite there not being enough time to harvest eggs and freeze them, the doctor suggested removing one of Maddison’s ovaries.

She had one ovary removed and it was sent to Oxford University to be stored in their specialist fertility centre, before undergoing six cycles of chemotherapy.

By October of 2021, Maddison was given the amazing news of being “all clear”.

At the start of last year, Maddison had a minor car crash and ended up in hospital, where the nurse treating her wondered if she could be pregnant.

Maddison explained it was a medical impossibility as she only had one ovary which would have been damaged by the chemotherapy treatment and that her healthy ovary was in storage in Oxford.

She was given a pregnancy test and was ‘absolutely flabbergasted’ to be told she was having a baby.

Maddison and Ezra (Image: Supplied)“Even when I was sent for an ultrasound and an MRI, the thought of having cancer never occurred to me,” said Maddison.

“I felt fit and well and my only symptoms were the swollen gland in my neck and the small lump on my chest.

“When I was told it was very likely cancer, but the doctors weren’t 100 per cent certain of the type, I felt numb and couldn’t process the news. My mum was crying her eyes out and hysterical.

“The treatment was hard going, and it was the biggest relief to be told I was cancer free in the autumn. If it wasn’t for the amazing specialist doctor in Newcastle, then I wouldn’t be here today. He saved my life.

“When I fell pregnant with Ezra, again it was such a huge shock I couldn’t believe what the nurse was telling me.

"He is my little miracle.”

Maddison and her family have always taken part in Race for Life since Maddison was young.

In 2014, she lost her grandad to prostate cancer and had taken part ever since in his memory. In 2022, she and a group of family and friends ran the 5k course at Carlisle’s Bitts Park to celebrate Maddison’s recovery from cancer.

This year, Maddison, Ezra and her family and friends will take part to celebrate his safe arrival.

CUTE: Baby Ezra, Maddison's 'miracle' (Image: Supplied)

Race for Life Carlisle will take place on Sunday July 7 at Bitts Park. Participants can choose a 3k, 5k or 10k course. The mud splattered Pretty Muddy obstacle course will take place on the same day at the same venue with a children’s and adults event.

Jane Bullock, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson in Cumbria, said: “We are grateful to Maddison for her support and know her extraordinary story will make an impact on everyone who hears it.

“No matter how cancer affects us, life is worth racing for. Sadly nearly one in two of us will get cancer in our lifetime.

"We’d love for as many people as possible across Cumbria and beyond to join us at Race for Life."