A pregnant mom with stage 4 cancer has vowed to postpone treatment to make sure her unborn twins have the best shot at life.
As The Daily Mail reports, Danielle Dick assumed she just had “pregnancy brain” when she began experiencing mind-numbing headaches 17 weeks into her pregnancy.
It wasn’t until Danielle began having troubles stringing together even a few words that she realized something far more serious was happening to her body.
Once she arrived at the hospital, Danielle, who already has one child at home, underwent several tests to figure out what was going on.
Soon, the pregnant mom, discovered that she had stage 4 metastatic melanoma cancer. She had masses in her brain and abdominal wall.
Although doctors told the 31-year-old mom that her chances of survival at the time were just 20 percent, she decided to postpone her treatment to save her unborn twins.
Danielle is now using her story to warn others about the dangers of skin cancer.
According to The Daily Mail, doctors believe Danielle developed melanoma from a mole she had removed in 2011.
Danielle’s husband actually asked her to get the mole checked out in 2010, but after a biopsy, a dermatologist told her that the mole was benign.
Because the mole continued to change and grow, the couple decided to get a second opinion.
In 2011, tests proved that Danielle did in fact have melanoma.
After an operation to have the mole removed, Danielle continued going to the dermatologist for bi-annual check-ups, but she was declared cancer-free five years later.
Now that the cancer has returned with a vengeance, Danielle hopes her story can warn others not to become complacent when it comes to their health.
Although Danielle has since undergone surgery to have some of the cancerous masses removed, she is postponing the rest of the treatments until after she gives birth to her twins.
“Most of the cancer medications are among [the ones you can't take while pregnant],” she told KWCH. “They had to let it (cancer) run its course. I wasn't able to do anything until a week ago with limited treatment.”
The babies will reportedly be delivered two months early in July to help save their mother’s life.
While she isn’t sure whether or not the treatments will work, Danielle is going to fight for her family.
“I don't really know. The targeted treatment is new. I don't really know if [the doctors] know,” she said.
Danielle is now trying to spread awareness about skin cancer to ensure that nobody else has to suffer like she and her family are right now.
“I want people to know skin cancer is not something to be brushed aside. People need to get skin checked and wear sunscreen. People think [skin cancer] is more treatable, but if it metastasizes the prognosis isn't good,” she said.
