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Elenor Tedenborg, 45, had just gone on maternity leave in late November when her doctor called with devastating news.
She had breast cancer. The tumor in her breast was a stage 2, and another tumor in her lymph was at stage 3 and developing aggressively.
Given the late stage of Tedenborg’s pregnancy, however, her doctors couldn’t – and also didn’t want to – begin any cancer treatment until her baby was born.
It cut a very tight time frame for the mother-to-be to both give birth, and begin her cancer treatment.
Tedenborg’s doctors finally decided that they would induce labor and have her deliver her son, Eli, after just 36 weeks of pregnancy.
“I felt a little sad at first,” Tedenborg admitted of having to deliver her son prematurely, “but - hey things could be worse - at least CT scan and bone scan came back clear so that will increase my chance of beating this disease.”
Tedenborg gave birth to her son late last week and was cleared by the doctors to return home with him on Monday, December 19. “So excited we finally got to take Eli home but then I got the dreaded phone call that my treatment starts tomorrow,” Tedenborg recalled of that day.
But thankfully, despite being born early, Eli is doing well. An hour of skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth helped stabilize him and his health, and as his mother begins her chemotherapy, his spirit will undoubtedly be there to encourage and motivate her.
One of Tedenborg’s friends has set up a GoFundMe page for the family, in hopes of covering the expenses of cancer treatment, as well as those needed to take care of a newborn.
“In a very near time frame, she [Elenor Tedenborg] will undergo surgery, chemotherapy and potentially radiation over the next couple of months, in addition to a newborn to look after - a moment in their life which is bittersweet,” the site reads.
If you can, please donate here.
