She was just nine weeks away from her due date when the worst happened. Jenna Hinman was pregnant with twin daughters when she suddenly was unable to breathe. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors delivered her girls via C-section. It was then that they found out that Hinman didn't have pneumonia as they suspected. The new mom to twins had cancer -- a rare form called choriocarcinoma.
Soon after delivering her twins, Hinman was placed in a medically induced coma. Meanwhile, her body is filled with tumors and lesions from the cancer. Dr. Wiley Bunn told CNYCentral, "Her lungs are so involved with tumor that they don't work. And right now they're not working at all."
Thankfully, Hinman's daughters are thriving. Kinleigh and Azlynn each weighed 3 pounds when they were born. Hinman got to see her girls once just before they were sent to NICU. She hasn't been able to see them since.
While the new mother fights for her life, her husband, Army Sergeant Brandon Hinman, is doing all he can to support her. Just after the delivery, Hinman says, "I walked up to her bed and grabbed her hand and said honey it's me. I love you, you're doing great. And as I was talking, she shook her head yes." He hopes it's not the last time he talks to her.
Jenna's family has set up a fundraising site to raise funds for her expensive treatment: The Hinman Fund.
It's scary how cancer can manifest suddenly, with little warning. The Hinmans were about to start an exciting new chapter in their lives as parents. Now it's all about saving Jenna's life. She has everything to live for, but with the cancer spreading throughout her body, Jenna has an incredibly tough battle ahead of her. I hope she makes it.
Do you have friends or family who managed to fight back to health after being diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer?
Image via The Hinman Fund