A new mum has died after refusing cancer treatment during her pregnancy to save her baby’s life.
Deborah Vanini was laid to rest yesterday (26 Nov) after passing away a few days earlier.
The 38-year-old found out she was pregnant on the same day doctors diagnosed her with stage 4 cancer.
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Deborah was told she’d need an “avalanche” of medications to treat her illness.
But the drugs would have killed her unborn baby in the womb.
Deborah decided to forgo treatment in a bid to save her daughter’s life, as reported by Need To Know.
Little Megan came into the world at 35 weeks in Milan, Italy, on 18 September, weighing 1.9 kg (4 lb 3 oz).
Her mum described her as a “miracle”.
Deborah wrote on social media: “We at least hoped to have a smooth delivery, but even here, life threw us a curveball.
“An unexpected premature birth, a pulmonary embolism, an emergency CT scan before delivery, the possibility that she might make it but not me.
“In short, it was like a film.”
Deborah got to spend two months with her daughter and her partner, Massimo, who she described as “the true rock of my life”.
Attilio Fontana, the president of Italy’s Lombardy region, told local media: “These are acts of great love.
“A love so strong that a person is willing to give their own life to protect the child they’re carrying.
“We must take our hats off to such choices and mourn a woman who showed extraordinary courage and love.”
Deborah owned a solarium and beauty salon and also worked as a dancer, according to her social media.
Before her passing, she wrote: “Welcome, little Meg. You may not know it yet, but you literally saved my life.”
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