Mom who beat cancer during pregnancy advocates for others

NEW HYDE PARK - When Jennifer Murphy holds her daughter Marlowe there's no better feeling in the world. For her, the bond is even more special that's because Jennifer wasn't sure if she'd ever get to meet her baby. 

Imagine being four months pregnant only to find out you have cancer. 

"January 5, 2018, when I was diagnosed, when I got that phone call, I didn't know if I had a future," she said. "I didn't know if I had happiness ahead."

But Jennifer managed to find health and happiness, thanks to the unwavering support of her doctors at Northwell Health. They said she inherited the BRCA II gene from her father. She went through eight rounds of chemo, 25 rounds of radiation and had a double mastectomy.

Today, the 32-year-old Floral Park resident, who has become an advocate for other women fighting the disease, is proud to say she is cancer-free.

"Anyone going through this right now or that will go through this in the future, you can do it, you can keep your baby," Jennifer said. "If a doctor says you can't, go to another." 

Doctors at Northwell say nationwide one in 1,000 women will have cancer during pregnancy. They say that once a woman is past the first trimester, chemo treatment is safe when monitored by a team of medical professionals. 

Jennifer will be on medicine for the next 10 years. But her family said it is her optimistic outlook that makes it a little easier for everyone. 

"She was so positive throughout and woke up every morning with a smile on her face and said, 'We're just going to have a good day today,'" Kevin, Jennifer's husband, said.

The Murphys hope Marlowe will have a sister or brother one day and thanks to the advances in medicine doctors say they'll be able to use an egg without the mutation.