Young mother tells of cancer ordeal six months after birth

A YOUNG mother told she was pregnant six months after her first baby was born has revealed how she was instead diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Frankie Wedgewood, 22, of Malton, went to her doctor with stomach pains and initial tests showed she was pregnant.

She said: “I knew I wasn’t pregnant though as my fiancé is in the Army and had been away serving so it was impossible. At first the GP thought I had an ectopic pregnancy, but tests revealed this wasn’t the case and nothing showed up on scans. It was a confusing time, I just
didn’t have a clue what was going on.”

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She was referred for further investigations to Sheffield’s Weston Park Hospital where doctors diagnosed her as suffering from choriocarcinoma, a quick-growing form of cancer which originates from pregnancy.

Now 12 months on, she has praised staff for her treatment on the teenage cancer unit at the hospital which is one of only two centres in the country to specialise in the condition, treating 40-50 women a year.

Her baby son Freddy was allowed to stay with her as she was given chemotherapy and now she is making plans to marry fiancé Will. She said: “It was all a bit of a shock, but I felt in safe hands at Weston Park.

“But now I am looking forward to the future and walking down the aisle this summer where I will be thinking of all the amazing staff that helped to get me there.”

The Weston Park Hospital Cancer Charity helps to fund work of the specialist unit and this year needs to find £1.5m for its work, including pioneering cancer research.

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