19 June 2024

Charlie-May’s twins were just 12 weeks old when she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Whilst juggling the early stages of having newborn twins and feeding, sleeping and nappy changes, Charlie-May suddenly had to contemplate making life-changing decisions about her health.

It was an absolute shock to the new multiples’ mum, she was 28 and had been lucky to have a straightforward pregnancy.

Charlie-May said: “I found out I was having twins at my 20-week scan. It was a lovely surprise but also a complete shock, as there are no twins in my family. After the scan I had a blood test and I remember the nurse saying to me: ‘Those who are given twins can cope with twins’. That line stayed with me ever since and carried me through. She signposted me to Twins Trust and wrote about the charity on my maternity notes at the time.  Then I went onto the Twins Trust website and did lots of research about the tight-knit multiples’ community.”

I did feel very blessed to have a multiples’ birth

Despite a haematoma bleed at 14 weeks and some sickness, Charlie-May’s pregnancy went smoothly.

She added: “I gave birth at 33 weeks plus one in August 2021 to George and Nancy and all was ok. The labour was very positive and I delivered them both naturally. I did feel very blessed to have a multiples’ birth. They had to go straight into incubators. I had to wait until the following morning to hold them. They spent two weeks in NICU but that was more for the twins to get some extra support about learning to feed and to gain weight.

“The day after they were born I delivered an extra placenta. I had always asked if I delivered two placenta at the time but they weren’t able to confirm that. The twins were discharged after two weeks. Everything was fine until I was six weeks and one day after the birth and I started bleeding. Your first period can come within six weeks and mine were always regular. But I just felt something was wrong. The bleeding was heavier than my normal period.”

Following this, Charlie-May went to Accident & Emergency but was told by doctors that it was her first period following the birth.

“I came away feeling silly. But then between six and eight weeks after having the twins the bleeding intensified and I started clotting. My GP sent me for internal examinations and it was confirmed I needed an operation to remove any remains of pregnancy. Due to the amount of blood I was losing, I was so fatigued and fainting a lot.”

The procedure went ahead and for a few weeks after, there was no bleeding until the clotting started again and she had more blood transfusions.

Test results from the operation revealed that Charlie-May had cancer, just 12 weeks after giving birth to her twins. It was confirmed as choriocarcimona, a rare type of cancer that happens in 1 in 50,000 pregnancies. According to the NHS, it can develop if the cells left behind after a pregnancy become cancerous.

Speaking about the diagnosis, she said: “At that time I still remember they walked me down the corridor but it was a bit like an out-of-body experience. The doctors took me to a private room and my partner, Joe, was on his way to the hospital. They asked if we should wait for him but I knew it was going to be bad news. I thought they were going to say I needed a hysterectomy.

“They then said it was a really rare cancer and they thought they had caught it early.”

Doctors said they needed to act quickly and that same night, Charlie-May was taken by ambulance to Charing Cross Hospital for her first round of chemotherapy.

“I wanted to see my babies but the doctors said the sooner the better and I needed to get to Charing Cross as a bed was available,” she said.

The hardest thing any mum who has been unwell realises so much is that the clock doesn’t stop

Following the diagnosis, the chemotherapy started and the new mum was faced with a gruelling eight months of treatment. Her HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) levels were some of the highest ever seen by doctors, she said, which resulted in weekly chemotherapy sessions.

Charlie-May said: “Losing my hair was tragic but at that point I didn’t care as I was so unwell. I didn’t know how I would get through the days without the twins but we had a lot of video calls.”

Tests later revealed the cancer had spread to Charlie-May’s lungs – classed as a secondary form of cancer. Treatment continued with weekly cycles of chemotherapy for six months, followed by more sessions of chemotherapy for another two months. Charlie-May and Joe were travelling back and forth to the hospital for treatment and juggling the care of the twins too. Joe took the year off work to look after the twins and Charlie-May.

“It was such a shock and so intense and gruelling. The hardest thing any mum who has been unwell realises so much is that the clock doesn’t stop. The babies still needed to be fed and changed. I just tunnel visioned until the end of the treatment. It was like an out-of-body experience. I never knew cancer could be linked to pregnancy. There were times panic set in. That was meant to be my maternity leave and I spent the whole year in and out of hospital,” Charlie-May added.

Fortunately for Charlie-May the chemotherapy was working and now, more than two years on from the diagnosis, she is cancer free. She will continue to be checked for 10 years after the diagnosis.

Looking back on her time as a new twin mum and the diagnosis, she said: “The last few years have been the most challenging and gruelling time of my life. I was juggling being a first-time mum to twins whilst having weekly chemotherapy and everything that comes with that. I do reflect on this time with astonishment and pride.

“After my diagnosis, it was an extremely bittersweet time in my life because it was in fact the best and worst times of my life happening at the same time.

“There was honestly one thing that got me through everything  - I always thought, if I don’t make it through the treatment and this is my only opportunity to be a mother then I want to be sure that I give it everything I do have and I am the best mum I can be with the time I do have.  

“I still am in disbelief that we had made it through and it has been difficult to adjust back to ‘normal’ life. I am still adjusting."