JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –
Five long years.
That’s how long Andy and Jennifer Daniels went through appointments, treatments, and shots before she heard the words she longed to hear.
She was pregnant with the couple’s first son.
“She had been waiting for so long for the blessing of a child, and me of course, we definitely wanted him,” said Andy.
But there was a problem.
At the end of her first trimester, Jennifer was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer—told she needed immediate and perhaps life-saving surgery and chemotherapy.
Doctors told her, those same treatments that would save her life—would almost certainly take her son’s.
“Some women would have opted to end the pregnancy, but she was able to receive the first half of chemo with no harm to her baby,” said Dr. Lydia Hernandez, Jennifer’s surgeon.
But for Jennifer, that wasn’t an option.
She continued the pregnancy, and delivered baby Eli at 36 weeks.
“She was on cloud nine,” said Andy. “You couldn’t rip the smile off her face when we first had Eli.”
A week after delivery, Jennifer focused on herself and her cancer treatment. She began a full chemotherapy regimen.
Six months later, she had a hysterectomy and her tubes and ovaries were removed.
“It was tough watching her go through it, but her faith kept her strong,” said Andy.
Through it all—Jennifer kept a journal.
“It was always: I'm so blessed. I watched my baby sleep. My miracle. I love my husband. It's a great day outside. I love my life.”
In March, Jennifer lost her battle at the age of 29. Her son Eli was just 22 months old.
But her mother Dana says she had no second thoughts about choosing the greatest gift.
“She amazed everyone around her. Until the end. The night she passed, she was singing amazing grace.”
Jennifer's incredible story of selflessness and love--is also an opportunity to educate women.
Turns out, Jennifer's grandma, great grandma, and aunts had breast and ovarian cancer. It wasn’t until after Jennifer got sick that she learned she tested positive for the BRCA gene mutation.
You may be at an increased risk, and consider genetic testing, if your family has a history of:
-Cancer diagnosed under the age of 50.
-More than one cancer in the same person.
-Breast and ovarian cancer in close family members.
-Male breast cancer.
Whether earlier testing would've made a difference in Jennifer's case is hard to say. What's important is that Jennifer had no regrets.
She chose life for Eli.
“She was amazing.”
