

A most cancers analysis, by itself, could be terrifying.
However for ladies who’re additionally hoping to start out a household, the prospect of not with the ability to get pregnant on prime of a most cancers analysis could be earth-shattering.
New Yorker Victoria Raphael knew this sense: At age 33, when she’d been beginning to consider having a household, she was recognized with breast most cancers.
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Raphael informed Fox Information Digital that she visited her gynecologist for a routine checkup — and her physician seen a suspicious lump.
She was recognized with Stage 1A HER2-positive ductal carcinoma in December 2018. Docs informed her that her case was treatable however “rising quick.”

Victoria Raphael of New York together with her husband, Neema. The couple have been collectively for 14 years. She stated she grew to become very “emotional” upon studying not simply of her most cancers analysis, however of the dangers to her fertility.
(Victoria Raphael)
“It’s such a surprising expertise if you’re going by means of most cancers,” she stated. “It’s the conclusion once they inform you that you could’t carry your child, or you possibly can’t have your personal household.”
She added, “In all of the processing of all the things that was taking place on the time, that was most likely probably the most emotional I received about having a breast most cancers analysis.”
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Raphael was informed she would have time to pursue fertility preservation earlier than beginning chemotherapy — and was linked with Dr. Jaime Knopman, a fertility specialist at CCRM in New York. Knopman cares for ladies trying to protect their eggs and recommends doing so forward of most cancers remedy.
In an interview with Fox Information Digital, Dr. Knopman defined that fertility preservation after a most cancers analysis could be the reply to a prayer for a lot of future moms.

Dr. Jaime Knopman is director of fertility preservation at CCRM New York. She herself is a breast most cancers survivor.
(CCRM Fertility)
Most cancers remedies, together with chemotherapy, radiation and a few surgical procedures, can render girls infertile by lowering or “knocking out” their egg provide, stated Knopman.
“Or for some girls, [there’s] simply the time issue,” stated Knopman, a breast most cancers survivor herself.
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“As a result of should you’re unable to attempt to get pregnant for a number of months or a number of years, it may very well be the turning level on your fertility.”
Knopman was capable of retrieve 21 eggs — and after genetic testing, eight of Raphael’s eggs had been decided to be regular.
Stated Victoria Raphael about her private state of affairs, “I knew if I wished to consider having a household — which I knew for positive that’s what I wished to do — that I had this chance,” she stated.
“Which I used to be tremendous grateful my oncologist provided to me.”

Neema and Victoria Raphael collectively in New York Metropolis. After remedy, Raphael is right now 100% most cancers free.
(Victoria Raphael)
Knopman was capable of retrieve 21 eggs — and after genetic testing, eight of Raphael’s had been decided to be regular.
“So, in the long run, we had eight embryos on ice and that was after one spherical,” she stated.
Raphael started chemotherapy a couple of days after her egg retrieval. She has since undergone eight weeks of radiation, two lumpectomies and a breast augmentation.
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Not solely is Raphael 100% cancer-free right now, however the alternative to pursue surrogacy together with her regular embryos was additionally successful.
“Fertility preservation normally is such a tremendous alternative and science is unimaginable.”
The process produced a seamless being pregnant — and on Nov. 3, 2021, new mother Raphael welcomed her son, Ezra.
“He’s an ideal child,” she stated. “He’s wonderful.”

On the hospital, Neema and Victoria Raphael have a good time the beginning of their son, Ezra, by means of their surrogate, Kristina Bontrager.
(Victoria Raphael)
They lately celebrated their son’s first birthday — and now Raphael and her husband of 14 years, Neema, are speaking about child no. 2.
“Fertility preservation normally is such a tremendous alternative and science is unimaginable,” she stated.
The way it works
Dr. Knopman broke down the method of egg freezing, which is similar methodology as IVF.
The affected person takes hormonal injections for roughly 10 days whereas visiting the physician each two or three days for blood work and ultrasounds.
“Throughout that course of, we will get an thought of how the follicles are rising,” she stated.
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“As soon as these follicles get to be a sure measurement and as soon as the estrogen degree reaches a sure peak, that is after we set off maturation of the eggs,” stated Dr. Knopman — “and the eggs might be extracted 35 hours later in an working room.”
“And if they’re mature, they’re frozen,” she stated.

The extracted eggs are assessed for maturity forward of freezing, since solely mature eggs could be fertilized down the street, Knopman defined.
(iStock)
Knopman famous that the largest “bummer” of the method is that there’s no manner of understanding how lots of the eggs which are frozen are of “good high quality.”
“However you do it, and also you hope that you’ve got a very good quantity based mostly in your age,” she stated.
Whereas some girls post-cancer can carry their infants on their very own, Knopman stated that some cancers which are estrogen or progesterone-sensitive, akin to breast most cancers, make carrying a being pregnant somewhat tougher.

Neema and Victoria Raphael welcomed their new child, Ezra, on Nov. 3, 2021.
(Victoria Raphael)
“Usually, it’s not an incredible thought to hold, not less than throughout the fairly instant time interval from the analysis,” she stated.
“It relies on the kind of tumor, whether it is hormonally delicate — and it relies on the age [of a woman] when recognized and [her] post-treatment.”
Exploring surrogacy
One possibility for ladies who’re unable to hold their very own being pregnant is surrogacy.
The success charges in surrogacy are “loopy excessive,” stated Knopman, for the reason that embryo is genetically examined to uncover the variety of chromosomes current.
This reveals whether or not an embryo has the true potential to grow to be a viable being pregnant.

Kristina Bontrager stepped in as surrogate for Victoria and Neema Raphael.
(Victoria Raphael)
“As soon as that embryo then is transferred again into the uterus — the uterus of any person who’s already carried a being pregnant, and it is a chromosomally regular embryo — you are speaking about [a] 70%-plus success fee.”
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Raphael stated she and her husband interviewed greater than 20 surrogacy businesses. They had been “conscious” about vetting the right surrogate, she stated.
“It feels loads like relationship,” she added, laughing.
After viewing one explicit candidate’s profile by means of the Heart for Surrogate Parenting (CSP), Raphael stated she knew that repeat surrogate Kristina Bontrager was the one.

Victoria Raphael informed Fox Information Digital that she knew Kristina Bontrager could be her surrogate.
(Victoria Raphael)
“I knew from that second that she was going to be a part of our household,” she stated.
“Her experience within the course of simply made it a lot simpler for us as a result of we had no thought what we had been doing.”
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For others trying to discover surrogacy, Raphael advisable discovering an “natural” match who shares the identical beliefs when it comes to way of life and being pregnant.
“[Kristina] was such a tremendous drive. Her power and her resilience and her endurance … holds a really particular place in our hearts.”
‘Cling in there’
Whereas the method, with all of its steps thought-about, could seem a bit overwhelming, Knopman stated it’s necessary for ladies to advocate for themselves.
“In large cities with large most cancers hospitals, sufferers are educated about their choices,” she stated.
“However sadly, in different components of the nation, individuals do not know, in order that they endure remedy after which their choices [are] considerably diminished.”
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The physician inspired all sufferers to go to their physician not less than for a seek the advice of first, with out feeling pressured to make the dedication.
Many ladies are afraid that present process this type of process can upstage their most cancers or improve their danger of recurrence, however Knopman stated this could not be the case.
“We will work as a group to be sure that all the things we do is secure for you and your particular analysis,” she stated.
“The ups and downs are tremendous difficult, nauseating and scary … however you’ll grow to be a guardian should you simply hold in there.”
Raphael inspired different girls in comparable conditions to “keep constructive” and embrace the “love and sweetness and lightweight in a extremely scary time.”
Ladies serving to girls
Though fertility preservation will not be low-cost, Knopman talked about there are numerous support applications out there that may considerably cut back the fee.
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Knopman can be chief medical officer of the Chick Mission, a corporation that raises cash to supply grants to girls trying to freeze their eggs forward of most cancers remedy.
Breast most cancers survivor Amanda Rice began the mission when she realized how difficult it was for ladies to freeze their eggs and get the procedures lined.
The group has to date given out 315 hope grants, with 115 of these distributed in 2022 alone.
Raphael co-founded her personal charity, A Rattling Good Life, which raises cash for members of the family present process breast most cancers diagnoses who can not afford surrogacy. A Rattling Good Life might be partnering with Chick Mission to current a grant to their first recipient on the finish of the yr.
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“There’s a lot neighborhood in girls wanting to assist different girls,” she stated.
“And I believe asking for assist and asking for assist doesn’t make you much less sturdy or much less ready.”