A fetus underwent a “temporary birth” outside its mother’s womb to save her life from ovarian cancer before being returned to the womb and born again weeks later. British baby Rafferty, now 11 weeks old, survived one of the rarest surgical procedures performed on his mother, Lucy Isaac, during her pregnancy.
The British newspaper “Daily Mail” revealed a rare medical miracle when Lucy, 32, was 12 weeks pregnant and received a devastating cancer diagnosis after a routine ultrasound.
Doctors at John Radcliffe Hospital feared that if they waited until the baby’s birth before treating the cancerous tumor, it would likely spread and endanger Lucy’s life. Her pregnancy was too advanced for surgeons to perform standard keyhole surgery.
Instead, a medical team proposed a radical surgery to lift Lucy’s uterus from her abdomen, still containing her unborn child, to allow them to examine and remove the cancerous cells present in both ovaries behind the uterus. This procedure, which carries risks for both mother and child, has only been performed a few times worldwide.
However, Lucy, a special needs teacher from Reading, and her musician husband Adam, 42, a former contestant on “The Voice,” agreed to “put their trust” in the 15-specialist team to carry out the surgery. Lucy’s uterus, which was the size of a football, was removed and wrapped in sterile gauze while remaining connected to the umbilical cord and vital organs. Baby Rafferty’s heartbeat and vital functions were carefully monitored for two hours before the uterus was returned to its place, allowing the fetus to continue growing safely inside his mother.
The extremely complex surgery for the doctors proved successful. The tumors Lucy suffered from were found to be stage two, meaning the cancerous cells had also invaded the tissue surrounding the ovaries. Despite this, the surgery was a resounding success, and the baby was born safely.
Edited Context:
“Medical Miracle”: British Baby Undergoes “Temporary Birth” to Save Mother from Cancer
In an extraordinary medical feat, a British baby boy named Rafferty, now 11 weeks old, was effectively “born twice” after a rare surgical procedure saved his mother’s life during pregnancy. Lucy Isaac, 32, underwent a complex operation at 12 weeks pregnant to treat aggressive ovarian cancer.
Doctors at John Radcliffe Hospital faced a critical dilemma: delaying cancer treatment until after birth risked the cancer spreading and endangering Lucy’s life, while her pregnancy was too advanced for minimally invasive surgery. The medical team proposed a radical solution: temporarily removing Lucy’s uterus, with baby Rafferty still inside, to access and remove the cancerous tumors on her ovaries located behind the womb. This high-risk procedure has been performed only a handful of times globally.
Lucy, a special needs teacher, and her husband Adam, 42, a musician and former “The Voice” contestant, placed their trust in a team of 15 specialists. During the intricate two-hour surgery, Lucy’s uterus, the size of a football, was carefully lifted out, wrapped in sterile materials, and remained connected via the umbilical cord and vital vessels. Rafferty’s heartbeat and vital signs were meticulously monitored throughout. Following the removal of the stage two tumors, which had begun to spread, the uterus was successfully returned to Lucy’s abdomen, allowing Rafferty to continue his development. Weeks later, he was born healthy, marking a remarkable “medical miracle.”
