Shawn and Charlie Elsmore were married in the hospital chapel, and welcomed baby Ryder a few days later. Photo / Michael Craig
Shawn and Charlie Elsmore were married in the hospital chapel, and welcomed baby Ryder a few days later. Photo / Michael Craig
Melanoma found on placenta but mum must leave for own treatment.
It has been heartbreak after heartbreak for the Elsmore family.
Charlie and Shawn Elsmore married at the Auckland City Hospital chapel late last month - just two weeks after mum-to-be Charlie, 38, found out she had late-stage metastatic melanoma. The aggressive cancer has spread to her organs.
Mrs Elsmore had to give birth on December 2, nine weeks before term, to prevent the spread of cancer to her baby Ryder and allow her to fly to Australia for immediate treatment after a small tumour was found on her brain.
Now tests have revealed there were small traces of melanoma on the placenta, which means Ryder - who is still in neonatal intensive care - may have absorbed the cancer.
"It's just heartbreaking," Mrs Elsmore told the Weekend Herald. "We thought he was all good, and that was the best thing ever, so when we got the news it was just devastating.
"Obviously the cancer was so widespread in me that it might have spread. At first they said [the placenta] looked good but after that, they examined it more; it came back that there were some spots in there. They did say the risk was low, so we're really hoping that he doesn't have it."
Mrs Elsmore was born in Australia and, despite moving to New Zealand when she was 4 years old, must return there to get free treatment.
The Gisborne couple have booked flights to Melbourne today so she can start treatment immediately, but Ryder will have to stay behind.
The possible spread of melanoma had made that decision even harder, Mrs Elsmore said.
"I know that it's for the best but it will be hard. I think it'll probably be harder once I'm actually over there. But there's a real deep knowing within myself that this is what needs to be done so I feel okay with it. It's for his safety and health.
"He's got an amazing medical team as well who are paying special attention to him, so we're as reassured as possible."
Ryder had scans this week, including an MRI yesterday, to see if he is showing signs of the cancer.
He will get any necessary treatment before hopefully joining his parents in Melbourne during Mrs Elsmore's treatment when he is full-term.
Mrs Elsmore said that when she finally got to meet her son after he was born, it was "the best day ever".
"At first I didn't believe them that everything was okay, I thought they were just trying to say it was until I came around [out of anaesthetic] ... but then they wheeled me through and I got to go and see him. It was the best day ever.
"They've all been really amazed at how healthy and strong and big he is."
A Givealittle page set up by a family friend on November 26 has already raised more than $21,000.
The cancer was found after Mrs Elsmore noticed a pair of moles on her chest.
She said the support they had received was overwhelming.
"We're just so thankful to everybody who's come through with donations and messages of support ... it's been really, really incredible."
2009 report says womb transfer cases very rare
Mrs Elsmore had to give birth on December 2, nine weeks before term, to prevent the spread of cancer to her baby Ryder. Photo / Supplied
The Institute of Cancer Research reportedly established scientific evidence behind how cancer could be transferred through the womb in rare cases in 2009.
Professor Mel Greaves, who led the study, told media at the time that cancer could cross the placenta into the developing fetus, but it was extremely rare.
"But we stress ... the chances of any pregnant woman with cancer passing it on to her child are remote," she told the Guardian.
A Journal of Clinical Oncology report into the transfer of cancer during pregnancy said the rare number of cancers spread through the placenta were largely caused by melanoma.
The 2003 report saw 87 patients with placental or fetal cancer and 27 of the cases were attributed to melanoma. Babies were affected in six of 27 melanoma patients, it said.
The Weekend Herald approached the Cancer Society, Melanoma New Zealand and oncologists at Auckland City Hospital but they refused to comment because of sensitivity.
