Brisbane mum Laura Corfield has baby boy despite bowel cancer diagnosis

A Brisbane mum who was diagnosed with aggressive bowel cancer while pregnant has defied the odds by giving birth to a ‘perfect’ son at 30 weeks.

Porter Jones Corfield. Picture – supplied.

A brave Brisbane mother has shared the tumultuous months which spanned her fearing she would lose her baby due to a cancer she was diagnosed with during pregnancy, to finally holding him in her arms in hospital after he was born almost 10 weeks premature.

Laura and her husband Braden Corfield, both 35, of Norman Park, will spend the next 10 weeks visiting their newborn son in hospital daily, while also looking after their two-year-old daughter Quinn and caring for Laura as she undergoes treatment for bowel cancer which rocked the family’s world when it was uncovered during her latest pregnancy.

The cancer had been so serious a plan was put in place for her to birth their little boy at 33 weeks gestation, however the couple feared the worst when concerns for Mrs Corfield’s health escalated and he had to be born at just 30 weeks.

Porter Jones Corfield was born via caesarean on Thursday, April 27, at a healthy 1.9kg, at the Mater’s Mother Private Hospital.

Laura Corfield with baby Porter in hospital. Picture – supplied.

“His name means to be a gatekeeper of your own destiny,” Mrs Corfield said.

Overridden with guilt for not being able to give her newborn a ‘normal pregnancy’, Mrs Corfield said she was losing weight, reacting badly to chemotherapy and was in such immense pain that she had to undergo a caesarean-section at 30 weeks.

“I’ve lost another 8kg or so and have just been so unwell and bedridden from the chemo,” she said.

“As much as I wanted to get him to 33 weeks to give him the best chance possible I just couldn’t. There wasn’t enough room for him in there with my tumour.

“I was terrified going in for the surgery. All of the worst possible scenarios playing through my head the night before and I thought it would be weeks before I got to hold him. I was emotionally preparing myself for that.”

Porter Jones Corfield. Picture – supplied.

A testament to her endurance and bravery, Mrs Corfield’s newborn was healthy as could be at just 30 weeks.

“I’m so proud to have grown and birthed this perfect little baby,” she said.

“I saw him the first day and got to hold him on the second. It was very emotional.

“He’s very tiny and it was just so overwhelming getting to finally hold him. It just felt instinctually right having him in my arms and on my chest.

“Every time I get to hold him it’s just perfect. Like he was made to be in my arms.”

Braden Corfield with baby Porter in hospital. Picture – supplied.

After the birth, her surgeon came in to have a look at the tumour.

“Because the baby was sitting pretty much right on it they hadn’t been able to do any scans and it’s been pretty painful,” Mrs Corfield said.

“They took my uterus out and had a look around to see how it was.

“I was awake for the whole thing but on very heavy pain medication.”

In the days that followed her birth, Mrs Corfield got a life changing call.

Porter Jones Corfield. Picture – supplied.

“My surgeon called and said the baby actually pushed a lot of things around … and once he was taken out they have realised that my tumour is in fact much higher in my bowel than originally thought,” she said.

“This now means that I do not require radiation.

“From the very beginning of this journey, radiation has been my biggest concern and hurdle I thought I would have to overcome. I’ve seen the impact it can have on people during and following treatment and I have begged my doctors a number of times to provide an alternative to try and avoid it.

“To now know this isn’t required and I will have had my surgery and be in recovery by the time my darling baby is out of hospital, I feel so-so blessed.”

Quinn and Braden Corfield saying hello to Porter Corfield in hospital. Picture – supplied.

On Monday, May 8, Mrs Corfield will go back into hospital for what could be a five-hour surgery.

She will then undergo chemotherapy for another six months, going into hospital for it every two weeks.

In the meantime, she has been spending time at home with her husband and daughter resting and recovering. Then visiting baby Porter when she can.

“Braden and I are trying to both get at least two hours daily each of skin on skin contact with him while he’s in hospital,” Mrs Corfield said.

“We’re so excited to have him and are looking forward to when he can have his mask and tubes taken off so we can see his little face properly.

“His room is already for him to come home and it’s looking like I’ll be mostly recovered from surgery by then.

“I’m still scared and nervous about this surgery but despite all of the knock backs things are finally looking up.”

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