Woman gives birth to granddaughter
Source: Agencies |
September 9, 2012, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
EMILY and Mike Jordan couldn't help but feel anxious.
More than two years before, at age 29, Emily had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. But just before she was to undergo a radical hysterectomy, she was told that she was pregnant. Faced with saving her life or their unborn child's, the young couple made the excruciating decision to go forward with her surgery. It meant losing the baby and forfeiting any chance at having children.
Or so they thought.
"I can't describe what that was like after finding out you have cancer, after finding out your chance of ever carrying a baby is gone," Emily says.
But now, more than two years later, she and Mike had come to a Chicago hospital to realize the dream they thought was lost - to become parents, though not the way they had imagined.
Alongside them was Emily's mother, Cindy Reutzel - a fit, silver-haired 53-year-old grandmother with a pregnant belly.
Reutzel was about to give birth to her own grandchild.
Just 34 years ago, Louise Brown, the first "test tube" baby, was born in Great Britain. The result? A veritable in-vitro baby boom.
Last week, a few days after Emily's 32nd birthday, daughter sat next to mother, holding hands in the delivery room.
And Elle Cynthia Jordan was born. Reutzel is recovering well. She even says she'd consider doing it again.
"When I watch both of them hold that baby and look into her face, it's like everything I could have imagined wanting for them - better than I could have imagined," she says, her eyes filling with tears.
More than two years before, at age 29, Emily had been diagnosed with cervical cancer. But just before she was to undergo a radical hysterectomy, she was told that she was pregnant. Faced with saving her life or their unborn child's, the young couple made the excruciating decision to go forward with her surgery. It meant losing the baby and forfeiting any chance at having children.
Or so they thought.
"I can't describe what that was like after finding out you have cancer, after finding out your chance of ever carrying a baby is gone," Emily says.
But now, more than two years later, she and Mike had come to a Chicago hospital to realize the dream they thought was lost - to become parents, though not the way they had imagined.
Alongside them was Emily's mother, Cindy Reutzel - a fit, silver-haired 53-year-old grandmother with a pregnant belly.
Reutzel was about to give birth to her own grandchild.
Just 34 years ago, Louise Brown, the first "test tube" baby, was born in Great Britain. The result? A veritable in-vitro baby boom.
Last week, a few days after Emily's 32nd birthday, daughter sat next to mother, holding hands in the delivery room.
And Elle Cynthia Jordan was born. Reutzel is recovering well. She even says she'd consider doing it again.
"When I watch both of them hold that baby and look into her face, it's like everything I could have imagined wanting for them - better than I could have imagined," she says, her eyes filling with tears.
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