ABC Highlights Pregnant Cancer Patient Who Rejected Abortion
On Wednesday's World News with Charles Gibson, host Gibson highlighted a woman suffering from breast cancer who chose to keep her baby instead of having an abortion while opting to be treated during the second and third trimesters when her baby would likely be able to withstand the chemotherapy. Gibson recounted the story of the new mother who "spent her pregnancy fighting to save her baby's life and her own," relaying her choice not to have an abortion. Gibson: "Her doctor told her she could abort the baby, but Linda found specialists who told her there was another choice, that she could treat the cancer and carry her child to term." (Transcript follows)
Below is a complete transcript of the story from the Wednesday November 28 "World News with Charles Gibson" on ABC:
CHARLES GIBSON: Finally, we don't normally have birth announcements on this broadcast, but tonight, an exception. The new arrival is just 48 hours old, and we introduce you to her because earlier this month, we introduced you to her mother, who spent her pregnancy fighting to save her baby's life and her own. In the course of just a few days last April, Linda Sanchez learned she was pregnant, and that she had breast cancer.
LINDA SANCHEZ, Cancer patient: It's a lot to think about April.
GIBSON: Her doctor told her she could abort the baby, but Linda found specialists who told her there was another choice, that she could treat the cancer and carry her child to term.
Dr. Jennifer Litton, M.D.
GIBSON: And so Linda underwent several rounds of a specific type of chemotherapy. And by early this month, her tumor had shrunk 60 percent. Then, this week, Linda checked into a hospital, labor was induced, and on Monday-
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: The delivery went picture perfect.
GIBSON: Meet Isabella Marie Sanchez, five pounds, two ounces. 18 inches long, and born with a full head of hair. Just the 70th baby born in what was once a controversial program for pregnant women with breast cancer.
SANCHEZ: She's something. I'm just really happy I finally have her here. Because I felt like I waited forever.
GIBSON: Linda knows this is not the end of her battle with cancer, but she is optimistic.
SANCHEZ: I've got about four more sessions of chemo at every three weeks, and then, after that is surgery, and after surgery, we're gonna do radiation. And that should be it.
GIBSON: Mother and child, Linda and Isabella, are expected to go home from the hospital this evening.
Brad Wilmouth is a news analyst at the
