According to a fertility doctor, Elizabeth Joyce, 36, would never be able to have a baby after undergoing chemotherapy for sarcoma (a rare type of cancer) in 2010. Even so, she became pregnant in 2013.
"It very much felt like a miracle," her husband, Max, told CNN. "Bringing a child into this world - I mean, it wasn't just important for me; it was one of the most important things for Liz."
One month into term, however, Elizabeth's cancer returned, forcing her into the most difficult decision of her life. In order to assess the cancer's reach, she needed a full-body MRI -- a procedure that would kill the child. Not wanting to lose her only chance at having a child, she chose to keep the baby and hope for the best.
"We felt that if we terminated this pregnancy and did these scans, if it turned out that there was no evidence of this disease after the scans, then we would have possibly given up our only chance at having a child naturally and would have done it for nothing," Max said. "It was a calculated risk. We knew there was a possibility of a worst-case scenario, but we also thought there was a good chance that we could have the baby."
A chest X-ray revealed nothing. Eventually, however, she showed physical signs of the cancer's return. As a way to save both her and her baby's life, the hospital decided to stage an earlier C-section than planned - about six weeks before the child's actual due date.
Once the baby was successfully delivered, the worst was revealed. Elizabeth's cancer was too great. She died a few months after giving birth.
When Elizabeth first made the decision to keep the baby, it attracted the attention of a filmmaker shooting a documentary about motherhood and pregnancy, according to CNN. Her story will be included in his upcoming film.
"It took about three minutes to realize that Liz was a stellar human being, and I wanted her for my movie," Henze said. "I was impressed by the way she looked at cancer as another problem to be solved."
