A mother's life was saved after the hormones released by her unplanned unborn baby destroyed a cancerous tumour that was growing in her womb.
Nicola Weller, 29, wasn't even pregnant when she saw doctors about a swelling under her ribs.
A tumour was found in her womb and she was referred to hospital for a scan 12 weeks later prior to an operation to remove it.
But when they carried out the scan, they discovered that Nicola was – unknowingly - seven weeks pregnant. And the pregnancy hormones had caused the tumour to disintegrate.
Nicola said: "It was absolutely unbelievable. I hadn't planned to get pregnant and I'd had the contraceptive coil fitted.
"So getting pregnant was a miracle in itself - but to find that my unborn baby had caused this tumour to disappear was a further miracle. All that was left on the scan was a few blobs of blood floating around. There was no other sign of it.
"My baby ended up saving my life. Without him I may not have been here today."
Nicola, who has a daughter Alisha, said she was devastated when she found out about the tumour.
"My daughter was four years old, and I was being told that I was facing cancer. It was terrifying to think that I may leave her without a mum," she said.
Recalling the moment when doctors told her the news about her scan, she said: "I waited as the nurse tried to locate the tumour on the scanner, and then she suddenly went out the room. She came back in a few minutes later with another three radiologists."
The medical team then broke the news to her that the tumour had disappeared.
She said: "I couldn't take it in. I'd come into hospital for an operation to remove the tumour, yet now I was being told that it had gone.
"The doctors couldn't believe it either. Everyone was amazed. One radiologist said he'd never seen it before. The second one said he'd seen one case, after medication, and the other said he'd seen it once before, where pregnancy hormones had caused a tumour to disappear."
They then broke the news to Mrs Weller that she was seven weeks pregnant. The pregnancy hormones had caused her tumour to disappear.
She said: "I was stunned to find out I was expecting a baby - but even more stunned to hear that this baby had caused my tumour to disappear. It was like he had been sent from above to save my life."
Nicola was monitored closely during her pregnancy and she was scanned regularly in case the tumour did come back.
Her pregnancy went smoothly and her baby son Brandon was born safely, weighing a healthy 7Ib 8oz.
Nicola, who lives with husband Russell, 29, in Bridport, Dorset, said: "It was a relief when he was born, and it was lovely to meet and hold my wonderful son who had saved me.
"He was delivered with his right arm pointing forwards so we nicknamed him Superman. And he really is a Superman, after saving my life."