LINTHICUM HEIGHTS, Md. — Taylor Niemetz from Linthicum Heights is celebrating her 29th birthday, her healthy 9-month-old daughter Maya, and her first anniversary as a breast cancer survivor.
Taylor was 22 weeks pregnant when she found a lump on her breast.
Maybe it was a clogged milk duct, but she knew deep down it was not.
She went to work. She picked up the phone and called the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center and Group. Dr. Cynthia Drogula, Dr. Ella Gayoso-Adam, Dr. Ikumi Suzuki, and Dr. Donna Eversley, an all-female medical squad, went to work.
She was scheduled to be induced on New Year's Day. She went in at eight in the morning, and after a solid 24 hours of labor, “Oh it's coming, and in 8 minutes, Maya was born,” said the miracle mom.
Maya had more hair than Mommy.
“The incidence of breast cancer in pregnancy is about 1 in 3,000. We were on a definite timeline, and there was a sense of urgency to come up with a good treatment plan leading up to her having the baby,” said Dr. Suzuki.
Dr. Drogula has practiced breast cancer surgery at UM BWMC for over 18 years, and she has seen about a dozen pregnant patients with breast cancer during her career.
“I vividly remember discussing Taylor’s case at the tumor board meeting and highlighting the urgency to get the tumor out,” said Dr. Drogula. “We had to really work collaboratively with clinical colleagues across multiple disciplines to make sure we could do this as quickly and as safely as possible, both for Taylor as well as for her unborn baby.”
And just weeks ago, Taylor lifted Maya to ring the bell, signaling the end of in hospital treatment.
Here is a brief timeline of Taylor’s year-long quest to be a mom:
- September 2022 – Lump identified while 22 weeks pregnant
- October 2022 – Biopsy, confirmed diagnosis, and lumpectomy
- November 2022 – First cycle of chemotherapy
- January 2023 – Delivers healthy 5 lbs. 4 oz. baby girl at UMMC due to a high-risk pregnancy.
- Mid-January 2023 – Next cycle of chemotherapy
- April 2023 – Bilateral mastectomy with the beginning of reconstructive surgery
- August 2023 – Radiation starts
- September 2023 – End of radiation treatment
