Cancer Survivor Celebrate The Birth Of His Daughter

11.02.2011

A cancer survivor who was told he would not be able to father a child after seven months of chemotherapy has become a dad against the odds.

Neil Fitch, 30, was told the cancer beating treatment would leave him infertile but despite 'insurmountable odds' his new wife fell pregnant naturally on their honeymoon.

Proud parents: Neil was diagnosed with bowel cancer and told he probably wouldn't have children after having chemotherapy. But he and his wife Bec found out they were pregnant on their honeymoon

Mr Fitch and his wife Bec, 27, are celebrating the birth of their baby daughter Poppy.

Mr Fitch, a maintenance worker for Network Rail, said: 'What with planning for the wedding, we'd never even discussed IVF and I think we had both accepted we would only ever be an uncle and aunt.

'We got married at Colchester Registry Office on April 17 and two days later on the drive up to Norfolk Bec felt tired and sick.

'It continued on the honeymoon so we bought a pregnancy testing kit and were shocked when we found Bec was pregnant.'

The railway worker from Wivenhoe, Essex, was diagnosed with bowel cancer when he was just 27-years-old and had emergency surgery in September 2008.

He spent four weeks in hospital recovering from his operation before starting seven months of gruelling chemotherapy to wipe out all traces of the deadly disease.

Despite surviving his brush with death Mr Fitch was told he would not be able to father a child as the chemotherapy can reduce the production of sperm and also affect its ability to fertilise an egg.

So the couple were stunned in April last year when they discovered Mrs Fitch was pregnant.

Baby Poppy was born last month weighing in at 8lbs 1oz at Colchester General Hospital - the same hospital which saved her father's life.

Dr Bruce Sizer, consultant oncologist who cared for Mr Fitch, said: 'Becoming a parent for the first time is always special but especially for Neil when you consider the seemingly insurmountable odds he overcame.

'He was exceptionally young to be diagnosed with bowel cancer and when he was first brought to us the outlook was extremely grim.

'Given what he has gone through I am sure that he will appreciate fatherhood even more than most new dads.'

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