Life is the most precious gift that could exist in the universe. Explaining a phenomenon that is so unique and beyond our imagination is practically impossible, but we know for sure that we are blessed and fortunate to be here and should be thankful to experience and enjoy being here even for a short while.

It’s life that gives meaning to this amazing universe, and without it, this universe is a huge space filled with nothing.

During my years of practicing Plastic surgery, I have encountered numerous occasions that the gravity of patients’ decision has been undeniable, especially when it comes to preserving life.

Among all those situations, there is one case that I will never forget, and I like to share that story here with you.

It was about three decades ago that one day a young lady came to see me regarding her breast cancer and its reconstruction following her mastectomy procedure.

She was 29 years old and she was the youngest patient with breast cancer that I had ever seen. She was about two months pregnant, and she had a very aggressive type of cancer. After consulting with several specialists, the treatment plan for her was to receive chemotherapy first to shrink the cancer mass and then she would undergo bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction followed by radiation therapy. 

For this young mother the whole thing was incomprehensible, it was a major shock and full of anxiety.

Talking to her and showing pictures of my patients who have had breast reconstruction after mastectomy, made her feel better and gave her hope that she will do fine and look very normal after reconstruction.

She mentioned to me that, she had been told that because of pregnancy and high hormone levels, her cancer is behaving very aggressively and that is why they have recommended chemotherapy first to control that aggressiveness. Also, she told me that according to her oncologist, the medications that they have to use may cause irreversible and dangerous effects on her baby and they are recommending that she should abort her baby before chemotherapy, and she was wondering what she should do. 

Although indirectly, she was asking about my opinion, and I said I am sure that this is a very hard decision for you to make and I am not qualified to make any comments about their recommendation,

but I know that they have your best interest in mind.

At the end of her consultation, she said, I like your work and I will see you in a few months for my reconstruction.

About nine months later she came back, so we could plan for her surgery. I asked her about what had happened in the past months. She told me that, in spite of recommended abortion, she decided to keep her baby and got her chemotherapy and had delivered a healthy boy two months ago and now she is ready to have her mastectomy and reconstruction. 

I told her that I’m glad that she kept her child and he is healthy and I will do my best for her.

Her mastectomy and reconstruction surgeries went really well and after my usual follow up for a year she stopped coming to see me. 

Years went by, and about 17 years later, one day, I saw her name on my schedule that said she is coming for a follow up visit. 

I got very excited, that meant that she had beaten her cancer and was a long-term survivor.

On that day, when I entered the consultation room, I saw a young boy sitting next to her. She was all smiles and looked really good and happy. She gave me a hug and said I'd like you to meet my son, Daniel. He was a handsome young man that his mom, against medical advice, had decided to keep him. 

She told me that she has been doing well and in all of her follow up years there has not been any evidence of cancer. And she added that she wanted me to see her son, and with a wide smile said that he has been by her side all these years!

When she left, I thought what a special person she is and what a difficult but the right decision she made when she was in the most vulnerable position. No wonder that for every human being on this earth mom’s place is so high and special. They give life no matter what they face.