A mum and dad who believed their baby was born with "inoperable brain cancer" and did not have long to live, have spoken of their relief after a second opinion confirmed the mass on her brain was not cancerous.
Now nine weeks old, baby Abigail, who came into the spotlight after her parents captured what they thought would be some of their few moments with her in beautiful family photographs, now has a bright future ahead of her thanks to a doctor in Boston that questioned the tumour diagnosis.
Abigail's parents, Erika and Stephen Jones from Florida, noticed she was gaining weight and "thriving" after they were told she had an "inoperable cancerous tumour" and only had weeks to live. They had even planned her funeral.
Erika said: "She was certainly not in any way, shape or form dying."
Abigail and her parents
Abigail's parents took her to a children's Hospital in Boston, where Dr. Alan Cohen, neurosurgeon-in-chief told them sometimes "tumours that are not malignant that can look malignant", and he believed surgery to remove the tumour was possible.
A date was set up to have the tumour removed and after surgery, doctors discovered the tumour was not cancerous as previously believed.
Abigail was discharged from Boston Children's Hospital on Monday, but the family will remain in Boston for follow-up care.
Dad Stephen told ABC News: "We were telling people and people just couldn't believe it."
Erika added: "When he said we got it all, it was like she was born again. She had a new life now."
Abigail's parents found out their daughter had a large cancerous mass on her brain during her 30-week scan.
She was delivered early and an MRI scan "confirmed" the cancer had become aggressive. Both chemotherapy and surgery were ruled out.
Mum Erika said at the time: "We were told treatment with chemo would likely kill a baby this young. The neurosurgeon recommended we take Abigail home and cover her with love."
The couple and their two-year-old daughter had precious photos with Abigail captured by photographer Mary Huszcza from 8.08 Photography.
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Baby With Down's Syndrome And Inoperable Brain Tumour Is Honoured In Heartbreaking Family Photos
