A pregnant mum has been given a heartbreaking health diagnosis and now faces a race against time to marry her fiancé and give birth to her sixth child, after being given 24 hours to live.
Mum-of-five Carrie Dodds, was given the tragic news a month ago, and has continued to defy the odds and live her life day-by-day, with medics giving her just one day to live on June 26. Carrie, from Blackpool, is currently 25 weeks pregnant and against all her odds is continuing to battle on to marry her 'soulmate' Shaun.
Carrie's friends have described her as "an absolute lioness" as she continues to fight the disease while protecting her unborn baby, as LancsLive reports. She said her unborn daughter will hopefully be induced at 32 weeks in order for her to receive stem cell treatment.
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Carrie and Shaun have been set a date at The Wedding Chapel on Blackpool promenade so that her wedding dream can come true. She said that she had been misdiagnosed over the past year after having a caesarean section two years ago.
She said: "It had attacked my body so quick, my white blood cells were at 198, so I had to have chemotherapy and a blood wash. Once I had that, [the doctor] said I could have a future and that's when I started to pick up," she explained. Since being diagnosed, Carrie said she has been in and out of hospital for six weeks. She now returns every day for therapy.
She added: "I've got eight days of chemo, and then I'll go to Manchester for the bone marrow at the end. I think I've got three or four rounds of chemo and I've got to have my baby at 32 weeks because I can't have the stem cell treatment while I'm pregnant because it's dangerous to her."
Not knowing what the future will hold for her or her family, Carrie said that marrying Shaun was the one thing she wanted to do, with the couple hopefully due to tie the knot at the Wedding Chapel on Blackpool Promenade on September 2. A fundraiser has also been set up by Carrie's friend asking for donations to make sure Carrie "feels like a princess after all her fight."
Speaking before their wedding date was set, Carrie said: "Honestly, we appreciate any help we can get as the Wedding Chapel is going to get us married as soon as possible as I don't know how far or how long I'm going to get in the treatment. They told me I had 24 hours to live and here I am against all the odds.
"I don't know how far I will get but here is hoping I beat this awful disease, my dream and wish, with me having very little family and no mum and dad, is to marry my soul mate, my best friend, my rock and life partner. I have five other children as well who are helping us along the way to make my dream come true."
When The Wedding Chapel confirmed the date, Carrie said: "Just to know I am going to have my dream come true is making me want to fight back more and take my life back that they said I wasn't going to have, I'm a warrior and am giving it my all."
While having her two-hour treatment, Carrie said the nurses commented on her "beautiful smile" and added: "It's about time we sin a happy Carrie".
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