A mother from Utah, US, is celebrating her first Christmas as a single parent with her seven-month-old son, conceived using a sperm donor, despite being diagnosed with stage four metastatic melanoma just weeks after giving birth.
Emily Hausman, 43, underwent IVF with an anonymous sperm donor and gave birth to Ezekiel. Shortly after, she was diagnosed with cancer and has since undergone two rounds of immunotherapy. She describes the festive period as bittersweet, saying she is 'staring mortality in the face'.
Despite her health struggles, Ms Hausman is determined to make Christmas magical for her son. She said: 'I absolutely love Christmas and I'm beyond excited to share it with my baby. He already lights up at the lights and Christmas music.'
Ms Hausman faced complications during pregnancy, including a subchorionic haematoma and a blood clot requiring emergency removal, as well as losing her job due to company layoffs. After her cancer diagnosis, a friend set up a GoFundMe which has raised £82,000 of its £91,000 goal.
She hopes her story encourages others to persevere. 'Every time I look at my sweet baby’s face, I’m reminded of how lucky I am. He’s the reason I keep going,' she said.
