Cancer survivor Bailee 'MY BABY SAVED MY LIFE'

After a brutal health battle, a miracle pregnancy gave her hope, then tragedy struck again...

- India Hendrikse

He may not know it yet, but four-month-old Henry did something remarkable for his mum Bailee White. Before he was even born, his every kick and wriggle gave the 24-year-old Masterton mum a reason to live.

For a long time, CanTeen ambassador Bailee was told conceiving naturally would be near impossible. At just 15, she had aggressive chemotherapy to treat stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma. It had left her nearly infertile and battling severe mental health issues.

 

Despite having two eggs frozen, Bailee decided to try for a baby naturally with her fiancé Hamish Robertson. In a journey they thought might take years, or not happen at all, the pair got pregnant in two weeks.

Although Bailee was still plagued with PTSD from her teenage years battling cancer, her pregnancy was supposed to be a new beginning.

But heartbreakingly, tragedy struck her once again - just five weeks into the pregnancy, Hamish had a near-fatal car crash, hitting a tree at high speed. Life became a living hell for the cancer survivor.

"On the night of Hamish's accident, I thought I'd lost Henry because I experienced cramping," Bailee tells Woman's Day. "In those first few weeks, I couldn't eat or sleep, but once a scan confirmed he was OK, I knew I had to pull it together, even though the journey would be really hard."