Mother with cancer died to protect baby

Published: Jan. 26, 2008 at 10:33 AM

LONDON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Hospital officials say a British woman who refused cancer treatment to protect her unborn son has died just weeks after giving birth.

Lorraine Allard, 33, was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer when she was four months pregnant, the Telegraph reported Saturday.

Allard rejected the idea of an abortion and delayed her cancer treatment, giving birth to son Liam 15 weeks prematurely, the Telegraph reported.

"She knew all too well she didn't have long to live. So she put little Liam's life before her own," said her husband, Martyn, an oil field technician from St. Olaves, near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Allard had hoped to live long enough bring her son home from the hospital. Her chemotherapy, however, had little effect and she died Jan 18, the Telegraph said.

Liam, who is putting on weight and gaining strength, is scheduled to leave the hospital in early March, his father said, calling his wife his "soulmate." The couple also have three daughters.

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
UPI NewsTrack Sports (2 min)
NHL: Detroit 3, Vancouver 1 (9 min)
NHL: New Jersey 4, Pittsburgh 1 (21 min)
NHL: Florida 1, Boston 0 (SO) (25 min)
Blue Devils lose freshman to injury (41 min)
NHL: Atlanta 5, New York Rangers 3 (52 min)
Riggleman introduced as Nationals skipper
fark
MPAA shuts down an entire town's wi-fi because one person illegally downloaded a movie. Take that,...
Verizon has found a way to charge you for accidental keystrokes
Coming to a hipster douche near you: 1890s fashion. 'Cause nothing says "manly" like knee socks,...
Tennessee man found asleep in a ditch with a loaded rifle and a bottle of moonshine
If there are aliens on other worlds, did Jesus die for their sins, too? After all, every Gelgamek...
Murder suspect tells jury he has the cure for global warming, knows how to win in Afghanistan, and...