By Claire McCormack

A DUNDEE woman was given the best possible gift after enduring years of heartache by battling cancer and suffering miscarriages—a healthy baby boy.

Mary Watson, of Strathmore Avenue, and her husband Ian, who is a teacher, were devastated when Mary was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma four years ago.

She went on to be treated with chemotherapy, which uses anticancer or “cytotoxic” drugs to destroy the cancer cells wherever they are in the body.

Mary (43) said last night, “I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is a cancer of the immune system around four years ago.

“Initially I had six months of chemotherapy, a CT scan, a PET scan and two months’ IVE chemotherapy as I had a massive lymph glands infection.

“With regards to side effects, I didn’t have much in the way of nausea but I did get quite a few mouth ulcers and my hair fell out,” she said.

“I’ve been in remission for three and a bit years.”

As if the ordeal of battling cancer wasn’t enough, the couple sadly then experienced a couple of miscarriages.

“After the chemotherapy I was advised to hold off for a few years before getting pregnant until basically I was told I was in remission, which happened on my 40th birthday.

“It was just after my second big dose of chemotherapy and I was told that there wasn’t any active signs of the disease.”

However, about a year after the chemotherapy Mary discovered she was pregnant.

“I suffered a couple of miscarriages and so I got involved in the early pregnancy clinic and they checked if the foetus was attaching to the uterus. They were very helpful.

“The suggestion was to take some aspirin and then I finally became pregnant with Ciaran.

“We didn’t think it was ever going to happen—and I didn’t have any eggs harvested.

“Ciaran was born on July 10 of last year on our wedding anniversary—so I was stuck in the delivery room on the day of our anniversary.”

Mary already had two children—Liam (18) and Alexandra (10)—who she said both dote on Ciaran.

By way of thanks to the early pregnancy clinic at Ninewells Hospital and to Maggie’s Centre, Mary decided to ask for donations at Ciaran’s baptism in December of last year.

A total of £300 was raised, with £150 being donated to each cause later this week.

Mary, who now co-ordinates a lymphoma support group at Maggie’s Centre, added, “I also want to say thanks to haematology specialist nurse June Gardiner, consultant David Meiklejohn and midwife Jenny Dunlap as they were all really supportive.

“I am extremely grateful to Maggie’s Centre for their support as sometimes the emotional onslaught comes after treatment and you realise just how lucky you are.”

Nearly 1500 people are diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the UK each year.