Parents Decide to Freeze Toddler’s Ovary So She Can Be a Mom in the Future After She’s Diagnosed With Rare Cancer

“Saving her is the first thing on our minds, but we are incredibly grateful that they are also thinking about her fertility and preserving her ovary,” her mom, Zoe, told The Mirror. “To have the opportunity to still have children in her future is amazing. At 17-months-old, she isn’t thinking about being a mum, but she will one day. I’ve always wanted to be a mum and I want her to have that opportunity too.”

Before Tallulah begins chemotherapy, her ovary will be removed and frozen with cryopreservation. The egg-producing portion of the ovary will be preserved and can be transplanted up to 30 years later to make pregnancy possible later in life. The fact that this procedure can be performed in a child is truly a testament to how far reproductive technology has come.

Preserving fertility after cancer

Many young women who have not yet had children (or plan to have more children in the future) are concerned about how undergoing cancer treatment will impact their chances of conceiving in the future. Fortunately, there are options and steps women can take to preserve fertility, including:

• Egg freezing
• Embryo freezing
• Ovarian tissue freezing
• Ovarian transposition (can be used during radiation)
• Fertility-sparing surgery

What options a person with cancer uses will largely depend on the type of cancer they have and what kind of treatment they need to get for it. No matter what the type and treatment plan is, though, time is of the essence when it comes to fertility preservation.

“For fertility preservation, most of the time I see women right at the time of their diagnosis,” Dr. Jaime Knopman, a reproductive endocrinologist at CCRM NY told SurvivorNet in a previous talk on the matter. “Usually, they see an oncologist, they’re told they have cancer, and within a couple of days, they’re sitting in our office to talk about what options are available to them to preserve their fertility.”

Dr. Knopman pointed out that many patients aren’t told about fertility options, however. And in the rush of trying to come up with a treatment plan and handle the cancer diagnosis, sometimes fertility issues get pushed to the back burner so it’s very important to be your own advocate, especially if having children in the future is a priority.

Dr. Jaime Knopman, a reproductive endocrinologist, explains why people with cancer need to advocate for themselves when it comes to fertility preservation. 

“Most of the time, women that are diagnosed at an early stage have a long life ahead of them, and yeah, the next couple of years may be sort of miserable, but after that, they will have the opportunity to live a life that they always thought they wanted to live or hoped to live,” Dr. Knopman said, noting that woman should feel comfortable speaking to their doctors about their future plans (and whether those involve children).

“There have been studies that show that nearly over 50% of women are never even told that they have the opportunity to freeze eggs or embryos or whatever it may be before they embark on treatment, so I think you need to be your own advocate,” she added.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

• What are my fertility preservation options?
• What are the benefits to freezing eggs vs. embryos?
• What are the risks involved with each procedure?
• How soon can I begin the fertility preservation process?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.