Brianna Rawlings, an 18-year-old pregnant teenager, was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive blood cancer, NK cell leukemia, at 17 weeks pregnant.
Doctors initially dismissed her symptoms as pregnancy-related, but once diagnosed, Brianna faced a heartbreaking choice: undergo treatment that could save her life but risk her baby’s, or delay treatment and focus on delivering her son. She chose to give birth to her son, Kyden, who lived for just 12 days before succumbing to prematurity.
Despite the pain, Brianna cherished the short time she had with Kyden, calling it the best 12 days of her life. After his death, she fought to beat her disease, promising Kyden she would overcome it.
Although she showed signs of improvement, her health worsened, and doctors canceled her bone marrow transplant. They then began a trial drug, costing $3,000 a week, but after just two rounds, Brianna lost her battle with leukemia on December 29, 2018, at 19.
Brianna’s story is one of incredible love and courage. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family. Share this to raise awareness in the fight against cancer.