83 | Faith with Chance - Tia & Martino Gedeus

Tia and Martino shared their pregnancy and birth experience after finding out at 14 weeks gestation that Tia was diagnosed with cancer, SVC Syndrome, and many of the complications that came from her diagnosis. Awareness and hope are the guiding force to them being ready to share their story with our community.

Tia described the moment when faced with an X-ray needed after a cough sent her to the ER. She was informed that it was cancer after a follow up with a pulmonologist. Leading her down a road of testing, treatment, and specialists. All moving at a fast pace to provide immediate treatment. Tia uses her experience as a social worker to help her garner the severity of her medical situation. Tia was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, and she immediately felt herself come outside of her body. The tears flowed, and she remembered that she was carrying life within her. Her maternal health team leaned towards aborting the pregnancy, but they weren’t in agreement. She moved forward, knowing that she and her baby would be ok and covered within God’s will. She began inpatient chemotherapy treatment for the cancer. She also started developing a blood clot and need further hospitalization. She was the first pregnant patient in their hospital to receive chemotherapy while pregnant and quickly became “the talk” of the hospital. They utilized all of the medications, including those that would cross through the placenta, because she didn’t just want to survive the pregnancy and raise her child.

Tia and Martino’s birth would culminate with an emergency surgical birth at 31 weeks pregnant due to the baby having repeated heart decelerations after mom passed a large blood clot. Their hospital stay was brief due to her weakened immune system, but she quickly returned the next day due to a fever that would later be determined as lung inflammation.

Postpartum was challenging, as one might imagine. Their family stepped in to visit Baby Chance in the NICU as Tia healed and Martino took care of her and their other daughter. Yes, the baby was named Chance because they gave him a chance at life. Tia and Martino’s story goes beyond birth; it is a testament to their faith, strength, determination, favor, and love.

Resources:

Hope for Two | the pregnant with cancer network

Fruits N Rootz | a sustainable provider of high quality fruit