Pregnant Cancer Survivor Risks Recurrence

Woman Had To Stop Medication Until Baby Born; He's Due Next Week

(CBS)  A New York woman who beat cancer is now risking a relapse so she can have a baby.

Erin Ruddy and her husband, Nick, decided that, until their son is born, she would go off the medication that had driven her leukemia into remission.

He is due Sept. 1.

Maggie Rodriguez spoke with the couple.

They faced a huge dilemma, Rodriguez explained on The Early Show Friday.

As first reported in Glamour magazine, it was either stay on the medication or have a baby. She couldn't do both. The Ruddys decided a baby was worth it. And so began the longest nine months of their lives.

Five years ago, Erin was diagnosed with leukemia.

"I immediately flashed to all the images of sick people and hospitals and losing my hair, and — just thought that my life as I knew it was over," she told Rodriguez.

Nick feared the worst. "I just assumed that it was a death sentence. ... And I thought that she was gonna die."

And, says Rodriguez, Erin might have died but, months before her diagnosis, a drug called "Gleevec" had been approved to treat her type of leukemia.

"I had the option to take a pill, with almost no side effects," Erin says. "And, within a few months, I was — my — my counts were — were down. And within a year, I was in complete remission. And I never lost my hair. I never missed a day of work for being sick."

And Erin and Nick moved on.

They married two years ago. Thoughts of a family soon followed.

"I'm a normal woman with normal hopes and dreams for my future," Erin says. "And that's exciting that we've come to a place where cancer patients can have all that. But, with that comes desires to be a mother, to have a family."

For Erin to do that, she would have to stop taking the very drug that had saved her life.

"My knee-jerk reaction was, 'Definitely not, ' " Nick remembers. " 'We're adopting or we're figuring out a way to just not have you go off your medication. 'Cause there's no way I'm taking a chance with your life.' "

But Erin had been virtually cancer-free for three-and-a-half years. After months of research and soul-searching, she decided she would stop taking her cancer medicine.

One of her doctors, Stephen Nimer of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York says, "I'm very optimistic about Erin's future. If you look at 100,000 or more cells in her blood or bone marrow … you can't even find one that's the type of leukemia, and so that also factored into her decision to go off the drug and get pregnant."

Erin's mother, Cindy Zammett, wasn't so sure. "I wanted her to be able to have a baby, because it's the most wonderful thing in the whole world," Zammett says. "But yet, to risk her life was just something that as a mother I couldn't say, 'Yes, do it,' " but yet, as a mother, I couldn't say, 'Don't do it.' "

Not everyone agreed.

Erin had been chronicling her battle with cancer in Glamour, where she works.

And she was shocked at some of the responses to a column asking what she should do.

One e-mail read, "Dear Erin: Frankly, it disturbs me that you value your own life and your husband's lifetime commitment so little that you would risk everything you've accomplished so that your eggs may be fertilized. How selfish."

"(That) one was hard to read," Erin admits. "I just — you start doubting yourself for a second. … But I think that nobody really knows what it's like to be in my situation."

In the end, Rodriguez points out, Erin and Nick believed a baby was worth the risk.

As soon as Erin became pregnant, she went off Gleevec.

"I will feel incredibly blessed and incredibly lucky if I get through these nine months feeling healthy, and have a healthy baby," she says.

"Has there ever been a moment when you've doubted your decision?" Rodriguez wondered.

"No, not at all," Erin immediately responded.

To monitor Erin's health, she has blood drawn every month to check for signs of cancer. So far, Erin has "not" relapsed.

"I feel good and things have gone well," Erin says. "I mean, I know, from the outside looking in, it seems like this is, you know, oh, such a …"

"It is a big deal," Rodriguez interjected.

"Yeah, I know," Erin concurred. "It is. I know. I know it is. I think that's just my coping mechanisms."

Erin's had a "normal" pregnancy so far, with sonograms, a baby shower, and getting the room ready for the big day when she and Nick will meet their special son.

"I want him to know that he was really wanted, and — and that we, you know, wanted to have a family so much that — that we were willing to — to risk my health," Erin says. "And … hopefully, by the time he's big enough to understand all this, you know … I could be cured."

Erin has to go back on her medication after the baby is born, and stay on it the rest of her life, or at least until she decides to get pregnant again, which she and Nick haven't ruled out.

Erin and her doctors stress that her experience is unique; before anyone makes a decision like that, it's important to get as much information as possible, then decide.

Erin says her own research found many women who'd relapsed when they got off the drug.

Help name Erin's baby! click here.

[ahemphil]

As well my youngest child was born Sept 1 ,1993 the true meaning of Labor Day for me,, Labor it was , Hope it''s a lucky day for you too wish your son a Happy Birthday from me and mine

[ahemphil]

I think most parents would sacrifice thier own life for there child any way if it came down to it,, i know i would for mine in a heart beat i''d even kill for them if it came down to it,, that is how much a parent should love their children consider this to be the same thing and if it does come back also consider the divorce ratio but if she passed from cancer because this choice she made to give the breath of life to her child well a sacrifice well made i think,, she will have a beautifull child to leave behind for her husband rather than years from now being divorced parents fighting over custody i would rather be the parent who sacrificed and passed leaving life behind than be the divorced parent that could not love strong enough to keep the family whole GOOD LUCK CONGRATS and i think christopher comes from christ and i voted christopher griffen is an iffy name makes me think of the gargoyles movie and timothy reminds me of the timothy the church mouse series on sundays

[lizardbate]

GOOD LUCK " KIDDO "

[mythoughtsr]

Erin, as a proud parent, I commend you for your bravery in making your own personal decision regarding YOUR life. My heart aches at your desire to have a child having several of my own and wish you nothing but the best of health. You are very, very brave and I wouldn''t care one iota about the loons who post here. They are loney, and attention seeking. Those of us with rich and vibrant lives know that you and your family have made an extremely selfless sacrifice for your future. Best of luck to you. I cannot imagine the joy at the birth of your child.

[linfinster]

This could be a test to see if the medication she took causes birth defects. She stopped after she found out she was pregnant ...
That would be so sad!

[jenpaddie]

del1957, obviously you are not a parent, or you would know that a good parent could never look at a child and wish they were never born. Also, any one of us can die at any time from anything, so should none of us have children because we are all going to die at some point? This was Erin and Nicks choice(which we are also all entitled to), how dare you make them feel bad about what will be the greatest joy of their lives. I''m a cancer survivor too, and my three little boys are a source of constant happiness for me. Shame on your hurtful words to a woman who is nine months pregnant.

[del1957-2009]

How about "selfless". Did you think about what would happen should you come out of remission and millions of leukemia suffers do and die. So now you''ve got a motherless child being raised by a father who will look at him and think "if it wasn''t for you I''d have my wife".

Nice.

Oh by the way -- we read this *** so that we can comment on them. Remember freedom of speach and opinions are cheap.

oleander you are a freak.

[mennowoman]

How wonderful that your healthy enough to even think of having the option to have a baby.

And shame on the people who have scolded you for exercising that option.

You are entitled to make the decision for yourself and you don''t need stangers telling you how to live your life.

God bless you!

[consciousnes]

I too add my Congratulations an wish for good luck, a healthy child and a long life!
I would like to add that I have had a bout with Bazil Cell Cancer, and was advised to use a Multi-carrotene or Bata-carrotene (This is a food suppliment or vitamin) to help deter the return of that pre-cancerous condition.
I started taking it after the second re-occurance in 2 years and have not had it come back for over 5 years. Whether it is the Bata-carrotene or my attitude that it will not return, i don''t know, but I do know that I will keep a supply on hand for the rest of my life. (I will be 64 on 9/9 and am looking forward to at least 50 more years.)

[jwoodland4]

I commend you on being so brave & I wish you the best of luck.

[oleander8]

How dare people judge you and your husband for decisions you make about your own lives. Congratulations and good luck to the 3 of you.