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Jada Leung and her daughter, Kacia. (D. Lobkowicz photo) |
By Dominik Lobkowicz
With the birth of healthy twin babies this summer and chemotherapy treatments now behind her, a Lincoln County woman diagnosed with breast cancer and a rare genetic mutationearlier this year and her fiancé are taking life one step at a time.
Jada Leung, 35, and Ryan McKeagney, 25, started trying for a baby in the fall of 2013 and were quickly successful.
When Leung ended up in the hospital in January due to hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition characterized by continued nausea and dehydration, they found out she was
pregnant with not one baby, but two.
Leung ended up having to leave her job to deal with the hyperemesis, and from there, the challenges only grew.
Leung was diagnosed with breast cancer in February, McKeagney had to leave his job to care for her, and the couple ended up moving in with McKeagney’s mother for
support.
Still worse, Leung was diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare disorder which “greatly increases” her risk for certain types of cancer, according to the National
Library of Medicine’s website.
The prevalence of Li-Fraumeni syndrome is unknown, but one U.S. registry of affected patients suggests about 400 people from 64 families have the disorder, according
to the National Library of Medicine.
There was hope, however. Leung’s cancer, an invasive ductile carcinoma, was removed and she underwent chemotherapy treatments which did not cross the placenta and
affect the twins.
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Ryan McKeagney and son, Kailos. (D. Lobkowicz photo) |
On Aug. 14, on her way back from her last ultrasound appointment, Leung went into labor – five days ahead of a scheduled cesarean section.
“I was so used to being in pain all the time, I didn’t realize I was in labor,” Leung said.
Leung’s other pains hurt way worse, she said, so she thought she may have been having Braxton Hicks contractions, or contractions prior to actual labor.
But labor it was, and Leung underwent an emergency C-section to eliminate any risk associated with a natural birth.
“It was pretty painful, but it didn’t last too long,” she said.
McKeagney described the situation as “chaotic” with at least six or eight doctors or surgeons in the room, along with other medical personnel.
The boy, Kailos, was born a minute before Kacia, the girl, Leung said.
“They were extremely healthy, perfect little babies,” she said.
At birth Kailos weighed 6 pounds, 1 ounce and Kacia 6 pounds, 8 ounces; as of Dec. 16 they had grown to 15.8 pounds and 13 pounds, respectively.
Another “huge milestone,” as Leung put it, was the end of her chemotherapy treatments on Dec. 15.
Chemotherapy made Leung’s joints hurt, making it difficult for her to pick up the twins. She had a brief reprieve before they were born, when her treatments were
suspended between July and September.
Leung won’t know if her cancer is in remission until she undergoes a positron emission tomography, or PET, scan. PET scans use a small amount of radioactive material
to look for disease in the body, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Undergoing PET scans every six months will be a part of Leung’s life from now on.
“It’s a walk in the park from what I’ve been through, though,” she said.
The next big step for Leung is a double mastectomy scheduled in January. The surgery is preventative, McKeagney said, and came highly recommended because of Leung’s
risk for further breast cancer due to the Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
“I’m not too excited about that,” Leung said of the surgery.
“But that will be the end of it,” McKeagney said.
“Hopefully,” Leung said.
The couple plans to wait until after the surgery before either of them consider heading back to work.
“I quickly realized looking for a job was a mistake, because I could never be a reliable employee and still be here for my family the way I need to be right now,”
McKeagney said.
Some days are worse than others, and Leung’s hands sometime lock up, making it difficult for her to pick up either of the babies, he said.
Leung anticipates staying home to care for the children, at least to start. She believes most of any money she earned working even part time would end up going
toward child care.
“I’d rather watch them myself than have somebody else watch them,” she said.
When they strike out on their own again, the couple feels the Damariscotta area would be ideal to live in and hope to find a home they can rent to own there, in part
due to a large community baby shower and fundraiser local people and businesses threw for Leung in late July.
“We met a lot of amazing people,” Leung said. “A lot of people we didn’t even know reached out and did a lot for us.”
“The community seems so incredible, and they’ve done so much for us,” McKeagney said.
With the variety of challenges they have been through over the last year, Leung and McKeagney have taken a position of advocacy. Both emphasized their hopes that
anyone dealing with cancer would take the time to educate themselves as thoroughly as possible before choosing any treatment options.
McKeagney said he and Leung were given a lot on information on “miracle” cures.
“To me, it’s scary to think someone might consider a treatment option that hasn’t had a lot of research or stood the test of time,” McKeagney said. “Maybe our story
will give them the courage to jump through all those hoops and ask all the right questions.”
Leung is continuing to push for women to do self breast exams.
“I think that’s really important,” she said. “I think that made a difference in my treatment and recovery.”
Leung is also pushing for people to do genetic testing for breast cancer genes and Li-Fraumeni syndrome.
Leung’s mother got checked for Li-Fraumeni and the results were negative, Leung said. It rules the mother’s side of the family out, but her father still needs to be
checked.
“There’s a possibility it started with me, so once my dad gets tested we’ll find out,” she said.
Kailos and Kacia have not been tested yet, but eventually will be, Leung said.
The parents have high hopes for their children.
“They have exceeded all expectations,” Leung said.
To support Leung, McKeagney, and the twins, donations can be made at www.gofundme.com/welovejada.
