Our hearts are SO full after coming across this poignant photo of a loving mum nursing her baby as she undergoes chemotherapy.
The beautifully-named Xenia Verhagen was born in November 2015, and although her mum thought she was perfectly healthy at birth, as she got older her head began to swell.
Worried, Xenia’s doctor rushed her to hospital for testing – where an MRI scan revealed she had hydrocephalus (fluid in the brain), caused by a large brain tumour. Within a month she underwent three surgeries to remove the tumour, which was revealed to have been malignant.
And while this type of tumour is usually treated by radiation, due to her age Xenia had to go through chemotherapy instead.
“Xenia has successfully completed four cycles of chemotherapy and is now 6 months old,” says the fundraising Facebook page Xenia’s Journey. “Her brain tumour has a 95% chance of reoccurrence so we are trying to remain hopeful that she will beat those odds and lead a healthy life!”
During Xenia’s chemotherapy, her mum posted a photo on the breastfeeding support Facebook page Breastfeeding Mama Talk of her daughter latched to her breast with the caption: “My daughter was born with stage 3 brain cancer. I am incredibly happy to have the opportunity to breastfeed her while she goes through chemotherapy. It has been a bonding experience for the both of us, especially because no day is guaranteed.”
The beautiful photo and accompanying caption has moved us deeply. We are sending our love to Xenia and her mum and we wish them both nothing but happiness.
