A Woman Was Diagnosed with a Terminal Illness While Pregnant with Her Fourth Child – Years Later, Cancer Took Her Life

Jessica Hanna's life was not defined by the disease that ultimately claimed her. It was shaped by the choices she made in its shadow. Her story is one of self-sacrifice, unshakable faith, and enduring love.

Jessica Hanna's world was irrevocably altered when, during a routine prenatal visit, she learned her life was at risk. The diagnosis, delivered just as she was preparing to welcome her fourth child, forced her into an impossible situation: prioritize her own survival or safeguard the life growing inside her.

After giving birth to a healthy baby boy and being declared cancer-free, Jessica publicly celebrated what she believed was a miraculous healing. But two years later, the disease returned, spreading rapidly and taking her life. This is the story of her extraordinary journey, one of sacrifice, survival, and spiritual devotion.

Jessica first noticed a dent in her breast before she became pregnant. At the time, her doctors examined it and told her it was benign. Just two weeks later, she found out she was expecting her fourth child. During her first prenatal visit, she brought up the breast abnormality again and asked to have it checked once more.

This time, further investigation revealed a different result: she had breast cancer. In December 2020, while 14 weeks pregnant, Jessica was diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).

ILC begins in the milk-producing glands of the breast and is distinct from more common types of breast cancer. Unlike cancers that form palpable lumps, ILC typically grows in single-file strands that spread subtly through breast tissue, making early detection more difficult.

It may cause dimpling, swelling, skin thickening, or nipple inversion, but these symptoms are often less obvious than in other breast cancers. ILC can spread to other parts of the body, including lymph nodes, bones, lungs, and the brain. Because of its diffuse growth pattern, it is sometimes more advanced at the time of diagnosis.

Treatment for ILC usually involves surgery and chemotherapy, often followed by additional anti-cancer medications. Jessica's pregnancy limited the use of certain diagnostic tools. Standard full-body scans used to stage the cancer involved radiation that could harm the fetus.

As a result, doctors could not immediately determine whether the disease had metastasized beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes. To gather more information, Jessica underwent surgery. During a mastectomy and full axillary dissection, surgeons removed a 13-centimeter tumor, and pathology revealed that 43 lymph nodes in her underarm were cancerous.

The extent of nodal involvement indicated an aggressive disease, and her care team informed her that the cancer was likely to have spread further. They recommended terminating the pregnancy to allow for full-body scans and prompt, unrestricted treatment. Jessica declined.

"They were saying, 'We really need to know what we're dealing with here to know how to proceed,'" her husband, Lamar Hanna, recalled. Abortion was not an option she would consider. Jessica and Lamar had met while studying for their pharmacy doctorates at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Now married with three children, they faced a critical decision about how to proceed with her care while protecting their unborn child. Jessica began chemotherapy at 20 weeks pregnant, including four rounds of drugs, one of which was nicknamed "the red devil" due to its potency and side effects.

She also had a chemotherapy chest port surgically implanted during pregnancy. As her treatments progressed, Jessica documented her journey on Instagram through her account @blessed_by_cancer, where she shared photos and reflections with nearly 60,000 followers.

She credited the pregnancy for prompting a second look at her initial misdiagnosis. "If it wasn't for me getting pregnant, I never would have double-checked it," she said in a televised interview. "This baby saved my life."

In May 2021, Jessica gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Thomas, just a few days shy of his due date. Despite having undergone surgery, implanted a chest port, and received four rounds of chemotherapy during pregnancy, Thomas showed no immediate signs of health complications.

He was described as "perfectly healthy and strong as an ox," and Jessica resumed her treatment shortly after giving birth. Now able to undergo full-body imaging, Jessica received a postnatal scan to assess whether the cancer had spread to distant parts of her body.

The results showed no evidence of disease. She was declared cancer-free within weeks of Thomas' birth. Lamar recalled that upon hearing the results, "The first thing she did… was get on her knees and give thanks to God."

Jessica believed prayer played a central role in her recovery. She often framed her remission in the language of faith, describing her experience as a union of suffering with Christ and attributing the healing to the intercession of the sacraments and those praying for her.

With her cancer in remission, Jessica became active in the Catholic pro-life community, sharing her testimony at church events and conferences. She spoke openly about her decision to continue her pregnancy while undergoing treatment and about the way her faith had influenced that choice.

At one event, Lamar remembered people approaching her afterward, saying, "You changed my life. You got me closer to God." Her presence on Instagram continued to grow as she documented both her recovery and her family life.

She would often post about Thomas' milestones. "That was 2 years ago," she wrote in January 2023. "Thomas is now 18 months old with NO signs of any ill effects from the chemo. His immune system is stellar, he is growing like a weed, and his development has been impressive to say the least!"

She described Thomas as knowing "all the letters of the alphabet (lower and uppercase), colors, numbers… and he can kick a soccer ball good enough to get him into the World Cup." These updates were part of Jessica's effort to show that choosing life had not come at the cost of her child's health and to encourage others facing similarly difficult decisions.

During this time, Jessica embraced her role as a public advocate. Her personal story, shared both on social media and in person, centered on two principles: her Catholic faith and her belief that it was possible to treat cancer without ending a pregnancy.

In December 2022, nearly two years after her postnatal scans had shown no signs of disease, Jessica began to feel discomfort again. She noticed an uncomfortable sensation under her arm and in her neck, two areas where cancer had previously been detected.

Follow-up evaluations confirmed that the cancer had returned, this time as Stage 4 metastatic disease. The recurrence was described as terminal. Now, imaging confirmed what doctors had feared during her pregnancy.

The cancer had spread to additional lymph nodes, the bones, and the lungs. In time, it would reach her brain as well. Jessica's health began to deteriorate steadily through 2023 and into early 2024. According to the family's GoFundMe page, she spent most of this period in the hospital.

The campaign, originally created to help cover medical expenses, went on to raise over $240,000 from supporters around the world. Despite the severity of her condition, Jessica continued to post updates when she could, relying on her followers and faith community for support.

She also prepared for what she understood could be her final days. Jessica asked those following her story to offer Masses in her honor if she passed away and set up a P.O. box where supporters could send Mass cards and letters. The volume of responses overwhelmed the local post office.

Jessica died on April 6, 2024, at the age of 41. Her death came just over three years after she had delivered her son Thomas and was declared cancer-free. In the months following her passing, her husband, Lamar, began managing her Instagram account, continuing to share updates and reflections in her honor.

On June 6, 2024, two months after her death, he posted about the emotional weight of life without her. "Some might say it's flown by, but for me, it has felt like an eternity," he wrote. "Each day a reminder of different things I miss about her, each day a different type of pain. Oh how I long for her smile, her laugh, her texts, her company. How I long for my best friend."

He reflected on how deeply Jessica's absence had changed daily life. "Family gatherings are not the same. So much is not the same. For me, month #2 was a lot harder than month #1," he reflected. "This is the cross our Lord has destined for us to carry. Thy will be done."

A few months later, on October 6, just before what would have been their wedding anniversary, Lamar posted about their 12-year marriage. October 15 had long been their day of celebration. That year, for the first time, he would mark it alone.

"This is the first year in a long time I won't get the privilege to celebrate with you, my best friend," he wrote. "I loved being married to you. Many people said we made a great team. A true power couple they said."

He also recalled, "The ups, the downs, the highs and lows. We never gave up on each other. We were always there for each other. We inspired each other. We struggled at first, but with God's grace, we figured it out. Our marriage was a gift from the Lord, something I will forever cherish and be grateful for."

Lamar continues to bring their children to visit Jessica's grave every Sunday after 9 a.m. Mass. He also continues to fulfill Jessica's wish to keep her message alive. Her social media page remains active, and her story continues to circulate widely.

The letters and Mass cards sent by supporters, so many that the local post office had to upgrade their box size, remain a visible marker of the community she built. Jessica made her life public not to invite admiration, but to bear witness to what she believed mattered most.