NEWS 25 - WEHT: Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro-Pregnant with Cancer: A Tri-State Woman's Story

Pregnant with Cancer: A Tri-State Woman's Story

story by: Courtney Fischer

OWENSBORO - A holiday miracle was born this Thanksgiving. A Tri-State cancer survivor gave birth to a baby girl just weeks after finishing round one of chemotherapy.

Five months into her pregnancy, Erika Vandiver's doctors delivered devastating news. That lump in her breast was cancer. The next nine months would be a fight for her life, and for her baby.

"I was paranoid. I was scared to death that there was something going to be wrong," said Erika while fighting back tears. "But there wasn't."

At eight pounds and four ounces, Rachel Eleonore Vandiver was born a healthy baby girl. Erika describes her daughter's birth in one word; relief.

"It was an uphill battle the whole time," she said.

The uphill battle was breast cancer. Just two months before Rachel was born, mom was finishing chemotherapy.

"Being pregnant was going to complicate matters tremendously, plus being 28...I'm young."

The family flew to Texas for doctors who specialize in cancer pregnancies. Rachel was with her the whole time during the four treatments in 12 weeks.

"Being pregnant you're nervous anyway. And if you have cancer, you're nervous anyway. And you combine the two and it just really makes it hard," Erika said.

According to the national cancer institute, cancer occurs once in every 3,000 pregnancies. Erika caught the disease early and doctors assured Erika that chemotherapy would not hurt the baby.

"They'd measure to make sure not only was she developing properly, but that she was actually growing."

The fight changed the family forever.

"I've been a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of worry on my end," said Erika's husband, Andrew Vandiver. "I was looking at the worst case scenario - what could happen? You don't wish for that, but it's reality of life and there's no guarantees."

Spend five minutes with Erika and you will see her optimism is unwavering.

"I knew we were both going to be bald, and figured we may as well match," Erika said pointing to the baby pink headband on Rachel's head and on her own.

Over the next few days the family will enjoy each other and the holidays, but the fight is far from over.

"For right now I get to enjoy a week of being a normal mom and then I'm going to go back to being a chemo mom."

Erika's second round of chemotherapy will last another 12 weeks. She says she couldn't have gotten through it all without the support from her family and the community.

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Mother with Breast Cancer Gives Birth this Thanksgiving