Mom Who Delayed Brain Cancer Treatment Finally Gives Birth; 3 Facts About Kim Vaillancourt And Glioblastoma

Kim Vaillancourt, the 36-year-old mom who delayed her brain cancer treatment, has given birth to her son Wyatt Eli Friday, April 8, in New York. The baby weighed 4 pounds and 7 ounces and the mom and child are doing well.

The birth was announced in a statement for the press, per WGRZ. The family asked for continued prayers as they welcome their new addition and hurdle through Kim's condition.

Kim's story caught the interest of the public when she gave up cancer treatments that could harm the baby in her womb. She learned of her condition in December, when she was five months in the family way, and initially thought the headaches were complications of the pregnancy, Parent Herald previously reported.

Kim Vaillancourt, her husband, Phil, and their five other children have been receiving an outpouring of support from the public via their Go Fund Me page. Here are three more facts about her and her conditon:

1. Kim Vaillancourt has glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma is a type of brain tumor that grows fast and can be hard to treat, per the America Brain Tumor Association. It usually occurs on older men, but there have been isolated cases involving women and children.

The occurrence is rare during pregnancy, said Dr. Robert Fenstermaker who is developing a vaccine for glioblastoma, per Daily Mail. In Kim's case, doctors found two tumor growths that required the surgery she underwent in December.

However, she will need to get chemotherapy and radiation to eradicate the cancer cells completely. The survival rate for patients with glioblastoma with aggressive treatments is five years or more.

2. Kim Vaillancourt's next treatment phase has been decided before Wyatt's birth.

Kim plans on starting the next phase of her cancer treatment two weeks after giving birth. It was a decision she made with her husband, per Daily Mail. Her latest scans have so far been clean of the tumor, but the treatments are still necessary so that it won't return.

3. Kim Vaillancourt's baby was born a few weeks earlier.

Wyatt was supposed to be born in May, so the baby required care at the neonatal intensive care unit when he arrived. The family calls him their "miracle baby," per Buffalo News. Kim's sister, Meghan Eisenhauer, believes Kim would have disregarded her headaches if it weren't for the fact that she was pregnant with Wyatt. "Her number one concern has always been her kids," Eisenhauer told the news outlet.