Pictures: Wayne Taylor Photography/Newspix
Only five months after Penny Hansen married the love of her life in 2014, she discovered a lump in her breast.
“I had regular checks because of a family history of breast cancer, but the lump appeared and grew very quickly,” Penny tells Woman’s Day.
During treatment, doctors discovered Penny was five weeks’ pregnant. Her breast cancer was sensitive to oestrogen, so pregnancy accelerated the tumour growth.
Penny lost the baby and then had chemotherapy, radiation treatment and a double mastectomy. She and her husband Leigh were devastated to learn that if Penny became pregnant again, it could trigger the cancer.
Penny’s older sister Fiona, 47, was by her side every step of the journey.
“Fi or Leigh came to every treatment with me, and Fi brought me fresh bread because it was all I could stomach during chemotherapy,” recalls Penny, 40, a teacher from Melbourne.
“When my immune system was compromised by treatment and I couldn’t see anyone, Fi would sit outside my window and talk for hours. We’ve always been close, but we became even closer.”
Life-changing offer
Just when Penny thought the bond between her and Fiona couldn’t get any stronger, the sibling made her younger sister a life-changing offer.
“We were going out to lunch and I was talking about the impact of all the treatment on me being able to have a child, and Fi simply said, ‘If you want to have kids, I’ll carry them for you’,” shares Penny. “Fi had already discussed being a surrogate for me with her husband Adam, who was completely supportive. Her words blew me away – especially because Fi doesn’t do pregnancy that well!”
Fiona, a midwife at Epworth Freemasons Hospital in Melbourne, had three healthy children – Bella, now 15, Amelia, 12, and 10-year-old Isaac. But each pregnancy brought debilitating morning sickness. That didn’t stop her from offering to help Penny have the baby she longed for – not once, but twice.
In December 2019, Fiona gave birth to Penny and Leigh’s first child, Will. In April 2023, she delivered the couple’s second child, Harper. Both babies were born at the hospital where Fiona works.
“I knew how much Penny had always wanted children and I was grateful I could help her,” explains Fiona.
“From day one, I was so excited to have a younger sister. Penny would sleep in a bassinet in the dining room during the day and I’d gently tap her on the cheek so she’d stir, and I’d run to Mum and say, ‘Penny’s awake now – can I hold her?’
“I always adored and protected her. Still, I remember the shock when Penny told me she had breast cancer, but I went straight into protective mode again. I told her we’d get through it together, but when she left, I broke down and cried.”
Special connection
Knowing Penny and Leigh might not be able to have a family led Fiona to talk to Adam about surrogacy. Each time, their children were wholeheartedly supportive.
Using IVF, Penny and Leigh created an embryo that was implanted in Fiona. It took an agonising four transfers before Fiona became pregnant with Will, but it was first time lucky with Harper. “It was devastating when the transfers didn’t work the first time – everyone felt the loss,” says Penny. “So when the IVF nurse rang and told me we were having a baby, it felt surreal.
“I rang Fi and there were lots of happy tears. Leigh, Adam and I were all at Will’s birth – we didn’t know if we were having a girl or a boy and it’s hard to explain how I felt when I held this tiny, perfect baby boy.”
Adds Fiona, “To see Penny holding Will in her arms for the first time was incredible. I felt such relief and I felt so lucky to be in the room with them at that moment.”
As Will grew to be a happy toddler, Fiona offered to carry a sibling for him.
“My husband and I wanted to give Will a sibling and my kids didn’t take a breath before screaming ‘Yes!’ They call Will their ‘brousin’ – brother and cousin, and now they call Will and Harper their ‘cublings’ – cousins and siblings.”
Penny says, “Will knows how he was born. We said Mummy got sick and her tummy was broken, so Aunty Ona grew him in her tummy. He also knows Harper grew in Fiona’s tummy because he saw it happening. We’ll tell Harper when she’s ready.”
The special connection between Penny and Fiona is too deep to put into words.
“Our connection is unbreakable – I have so much respect and gratitude for my sister,” says Penny.
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