SUN CITY, Calif. -- A woman faced a decision she never expected. Should she end her pregnancy to save her own life?
For Ashley Bridges, life was good. She and her boyfriend Jonathan were in love -- and along with her young son Braiden, they were excited to become a family.
The only distraction was her aching knee that began bothering her in the spring of 2012.
"Yeah, I had gone to the doctor multiple times. He was like, ‘it's probably just arthritis or bursitis.’ Finally it got to where I was like I can't walk anymore," Ashley said.
It was now the fall of 2013. But before she made it to a specialist the pain became so intense that Ashley had to go to the hospital.
"They did an X-ray and said 'you have bone cancer,'” Ashley said, after an initial diagnosis of arthritis.
Ashley was diagnosed with cancer known as osteosarcoma. She was just 24 years old.
Ashley said if the cancer had been caught earlier the story would have been different.
Ashley had surgery to replace her knee and remove the majority of her femur. The doctors also said she should start chemotherapy immediately - but there was a big risk. She was already 10 weeks pregnant with a baby girl.
"They told me what would likely happen to Paisley that you know she most likely wouldn't make it and I just knew," Ashley said. “I'm not going to kill a healthy baby because I'm sick. Her life is just as important as mine if not more important. I mean as a mother my job is to protect my kids."
Ashley was unwavering in her decision to delay treatment - a choice that could ultimately cost her her life. It helped to know her boyfriend and her mother would support her no matter what.
"I always tell her it's not over til it's over. You never know. We might get that miracle," said Renee, Ashley’s mother.
But after giving birth to Paisley in July, a full body scan revealed the cancer had spread throughout Ashley's body -- even into her brain.
"It's hard to be in pain all the time," Ashley said.
Now, Ashley is focused on making it to Paisley’s first birthday and she and her boyfriend, Jonathan, have moved the weeding up a couple months to November.
"To make sure that I could enjoy it because things change so quickly. I could not be walking in a month," Ashley said.
"It means everything. My kids are going to have these memories. My husband's going to have these,” Ashley said. "What do you think your legacy will be after you are gone?”
For Ashley Bridges, life was good. She and her boyfriend Jonathan were in love -- and along with her young son Braiden, they were excited to become a family.
The only distraction was her aching knee that began bothering her in the spring of 2012.
"Yeah, I had gone to the doctor multiple times. He was like, ‘it's probably just arthritis or bursitis.’ Finally it got to where I was like I can't walk anymore," Ashley said.
It was now the fall of 2013. But before she made it to a specialist the pain became so intense that Ashley had to go to the hospital.
"They did an X-ray and said 'you have bone cancer,'” Ashley said, after an initial diagnosis of arthritis.
Ashley was diagnosed with cancer known as osteosarcoma. She was just 24 years old.
Ashley said if the cancer had been caught earlier the story would have been different.
Ashley had surgery to replace her knee and remove the majority of her femur. The doctors also said she should start chemotherapy immediately - but there was a big risk. She was already 10 weeks pregnant with a baby girl.
"They told me what would likely happen to Paisley that you know she most likely wouldn't make it and I just knew," Ashley said. “I'm not going to kill a healthy baby because I'm sick. Her life is just as important as mine if not more important. I mean as a mother my job is to protect my kids."
Ashley was unwavering in her decision to delay treatment - a choice that could ultimately cost her her life. It helped to know her boyfriend and her mother would support her no matter what.
"I always tell her it's not over til it's over. You never know. We might get that miracle," said Renee, Ashley’s mother.
But after giving birth to Paisley in July, a full body scan revealed the cancer had spread throughout Ashley's body -- even into her brain.
"It's hard to be in pain all the time," Ashley said.
Now, Ashley is focused on making it to Paisley’s first birthday and she and her boyfriend, Jonathan, have moved the weeding up a couple months to November.
"To make sure that I could enjoy it because things change so quickly. I could not be walking in a month," Ashley said.
"It means everything. My kids are going to have these memories. My husband's going to have these,” Ashley said. "What do you think your legacy will be after you are gone?”