Getting pregnant is one of the most exciting things for many women. It's overwhelming, yes, but expecting a baby is a fun time for the parents and any other children in the family.
Jessica Boesmiller was a mom of two sons when she found out she was pregnant again. She and her husband were thrilled to have another child, and even more excited when they found out they were actually having twins.
Toward the end of her pregnancy, Jessica started having some blurry vision in one eye, so she went to see a doctor. At first, she thought the blurriness was just from being tired. When it didn't go away, she realized it might be something serious related to the pregnancy.
Unfortunately, the diagnosis was even more grim: Jessica had a rare form of life-threatening eye cancer. There was a tumor in Jessica's eye that covered half her eyeball.
Thumbnail Photo: Facebook / Updates on Jessica
[H/T: Daily Mail]
Jessica's friend shared the story on GoFundMe. She wrote:
Just when you think your life is moving on a pretty perfect path, with a great husband who puts his life on the line not only for his family, but also as a Charlotte and Cornelius Firefighter, two wonderful sons 7 and 9 years old, twins (boy and girl) due near Christmas and a fulfilling job as the Healthy Living Director at the Lake Norman YMCA… life throws you a curveball that takes your breath away.
A simple trip to the eye doctor for blurry vision turned into a diagnosis of ocular melanoma. Ocular melanoma is a rare form of eye cancer.
On Thursday, November 30th, a group of doctors at Duke University Medical Center will conduct a biopsy, and once confirmed, Jessica will undergo an enucleation (removal of the eye). The twins are not expected to be endangered and will be closely monitored.
With this being such an aggressive cancer, the doctors at Duke will also begin to check to see if it has metastasized (spread). If it has, Jessica and Mark will travel to Philadelphia to see oncology specialists who have vast experience and access to the best clinical trials.
Hopefully, Jessica’s scans will be clear and Mark and Jessica will be able to focus on her recovery, a future prosthetic eye, and most importantly, their four beautiful children!
This young family asks for nothing more than the love and prayers of all who hear of their story.
Mark graciously gives of his time and talents bagpiping for multiple fire departments and community events; traveling, sometimes great distances and costs, to play for Line of Duty Death funerals.
Jessica remains vibrant and upbeat, often telling her boys that, “everything is going to be alright”.
With the holidays upon us, it is truly a reminder of how very precious life is.
Since her friend shared the story, Jessica underwent surgery and had her right eye ball removed.
Removing her eye made the most sense to Jessica and her husband, Mark, because it was the least harmful to the babies.
A few weeks after surgery, Jessica delivered her twins — a girl and a boy — via C-section.
Piper Marie and Mason Dare entered the world on December 21, 2017, and they were absolutely healthy.
Although there were concerns about the cancer spreading to the twins, tests done on their placentas revealed that they were cancer-free.
Jessica and Mark's older sons, Conner and Caleb, are adjusting well to their new siblings and their mom's diagnosis.
Right now, Jessica is wearing an eye patch, and she enjoys being "pirate mommy."
Sometime before February, Jessica will get fitted for a prosthetic eye. She's also waiting to find out if her cancer spread to other organs, but even if it has, she's definitely going to fight it. After all, she has so much to live for!
If you're impressed with Jessica's strength and are inspired by her family, please SHARE this article with your friends!
