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'Miracle Baby' defies odds, makes global headlines

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  • By Jasmine Porterfield
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  It took one photo to capture the hearts of thousands and one pregnancy to bring a community together.

Master Sgt. Michael Whitney, 16th Electronic Warfare Squadron maintenance flight chief, and his wife, Sarah, were expecting their third child. At seven weeks along, Sarah noticed a lump on her left breast.

A follow-on ultrasound revealed two lumps deemed benign at the time, but within 13 weeks they multiplied, prompting her to get a biopsy before her scheduled checkup.

"I didn't get too concerned at first, because I knew a lot of things can happen when you're pregnant," said the former Army medic. "I didn't smoke, I wasn't overweight and I was healthy. No one thinks you're going to get breast cancer when you're 31."

Five months into her pregnancy, Sarah was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. At 21 weeks, she had a mastectomy followed by chemotherapy.

"The biggest concerns [the doctors] had with receiving chemotherapy while pregnant was the baby having low birth weight and anemia," Sarah said. "I saw the doctor every week for checkups and there were never any issues. The baby was always great."

According to Sarah's medical team, breast cancer can be treated similarly whether a patient is pregnant or not. Contributing factors include the baby's development and the fact its placenta acts as a protective filter from outside toxins. What made treatment immediately necessary for her was her cancer being estrogen and progesterone positive - hormones the body produces in excess during pregnancy.

"[The cancer] was feeding off of the pregnancy hormones, making it really aggressive," she said. "I didn't have time and had to outweigh treatment risks to be able to have a fighting chance for both of us."

As Sarah sought treatment, she and her doctor made the decision to remove only the cancerous breast to minimize stress on the baby and give her a chance at breastfeeding, just as she had done with her two older children.

"Even with having been told the diagnosis and losing my hair... the hardest part for me was being told I would not be able to breastfeed for long, if at all, because of the potential harm the medications could cause the baby," she said. "That's the main reason why I really wanted a photographer there to capture [the moment], if it were to happen."

Three weeks prior to giving birth, Sarah took a break from her treatment to ensure both hers and the baby's blood volume and immune systems were healthy for the birth process. The break also gave her system time to cleanse itself of medications in the event she was able to nurse. Both parents chose to keep the baby's sex a surprise.

"One by one, all of our birth options were taken away. We had no control of anything because of the illness," said Michael. "We got to the point where we wanted to hold off knowing the sex of the baby. That was the only control we had."

Michael's unit rallied to assist in restoring some normalcy to the Whitneys, running errands and cooking meals, so they could spend more quality time with their children between appointments. 

"My commander was always connected and adamant on supporting us in whatever we needed," said Michael. "His concern allowed for me to not only take care of my family, but also support the mission without worry."

The unit's spouses' group created an online calendar where fellow spouses could document the kind of support they were providing to ensure the family's needs were being met and efforts weren't duplicated.

"We've only been here a year. For people we don't even know in the squadron to reach out and assist is truly a blessing," said Sarah, Pottstown, Pa., native. "With not having family here, they became our family."

The Whitneys would soon have one less concern to worry about. On April 21, just four weeks from being full term, Sarah gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Shortly after he was placed in her arms, he turned her biggest heartache into sheer joy.

"As soon as [the nurse] gave him to me he latched immediately. He knew what to do," said Sarah. "I prayed for that moment but didn't expect it. It was amazing."

The family's photographer, Katie Murray, was there to capture the moment.

"When she was held him and he latched on by himself, she announced it to the room, and her husband and nurse jumped over to see. Everyone was so excited and awestruck," said Murray. "It was hard to keep my composure - it was a really incredible moment, a miracle happening right in front of us."        
              
After posting them to her Facebook page, Murray's photos of Sarah breastfeeding were shared more than 100,000 times before her site was taken down. The images made global headlines as national and international media outlets spread the word.

"People came forward and shared their experiences with us," said Sarah. "I hope the photo shows people there's hope in situations like mine."

Sarah was only able to breastfeed for two weeks, because she had to continue her treatment. She was able to continue feeding breast milk to her son through donor milk provided by a fellow military spouse.

"We took that approach to ensure he's getting as much as we originally wanted for him as possible," said Michael.

As for the baby's name, the Whitneys settled for something unconventional, yet appropriate for someone they called their miracle.

"Kal-El - what better name to give a child who's defied odds?" said Michael. "Going beyond being Superman's moniker, the name means 'voice or strength of God.' We couldn't have thought of anything more fitting."

Sarah will continue treatment for five more years. Because of the type of cancer she has, getting pregnant again will not be an option. Though her battle isn't over, her main focus right now is on her family.

"There's been a lot of heartache with things not working out the way we wanted, but I'm just soaking everything in and appreciating all the blessings we've had with him being healthy," She said. "We don't give up in this family. We keep going - that's what we live by."