A woman in Tonawanda, New York was diagnosed with Grade 4 glioblastoma midway through her pregnancy. Doctors advised her to undergo brain cancer treatment immediately, but she refused. She told them she would undergo treatment only after her child is born.
Kim Vaillancourt, 36, is expected to give birth to a bouncing baby boy next month. However, the road leading up to it has been anything but convenient for Kim and her husband Phil, 37.
Jenna Koch, the family's spokesperson, told ABC News that Kim was diagnosed with brain cancer last December. She had been experiencing severe headaches and decided to have it checked fearing it had something to do with her pregnancy.
Doctors later told her that she had developed two tumors on her brain. Kim underwent surgery to have the masses removed but declined to have additional treatment until her son is born.
Koch thanked well-wishers and assured them that Kim has been handling the situation with grace. Additionally, a GoFundMe page has now raised close to $150,000 for the Vaillancourt family. The outpouring of support and prayers has inspired Kim to keep on fighting.
In an interview with WGRZ, Phil said their unborn child saved Kim's life. She would have ignored the headaches had she not been pregnant.
"If it wasn't for the baby, she probably would've never gone to the hospital with her severe headache and nausea," Phil thought. "And she would've laid in bed thinking it was the flu, and she would've possibly not been here today. We definitely feel that God put that baby in her for a reason: pretty much to save her life."
The Vaillancourts plan to name the little boy Wyatt Eli which means "brave warrior sent from God." While people with her diagnosis only have less than two years to live even with treatment, Kim still chose to postpone further treatment until her son can be safely delivered.
