A teenage mum from New Zealand is being praised for her selfless decision to forgo cancer treatment, to give her baby a fighting chance of survival.
Rhianna, 17, was originally diagnosed with cancer in 2012, before she’d even hit her teens.
But after being given the all clear, the teen was devastated to discover that the cancer had returned in 2015, and this time moved to her lungs.
While undergoing treatment for the disease, which is a rare form of cancer, Rhianna fell pregnant, and then made the selfless decision to pause treatment and give birth to her son.
“When I found out I was pregnant, I was like, ‘this is my reason, this is my chance to make something good out of my life, and be a proud mother, and for him to eventually be proud of me,” the Hawkes Bay mother told Stuff
Rhianna gave birth to her healthy baby boy, Daeshaun, in 2016. But her world came crashing down when last week, the young mum was told she is dying.
Writing on her Give A Little page, Rhianna explained she is raising funds to “make memories with my son and live our lives with as much fun and happiness while I’m well enough to enjoy it.”
When Rhianna spoke to Stuff reporters, she admitted that having Daeshaun had given her a reason to live, but that she was terrified for the future.
