{
  "id": 6910656,
  "title": "'What's going to happen to my children?': Mum-&-daughter cancer survivors, 48 & 8, bond over fight against cancer",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/whats-going-to-happen-to-my-children-mum-daughter-cancer-survivors-48",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-12T11:14:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mothership",
    "slug": "mothership",
    "url": "https://mothership.sg/2026/09/mother-daughter-cancer-survivors/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "When Vanessa Woo discovered she had stage three breast cancer, her five-year-old daughter Olivia was not particularly concerned about the severity of her mother's illness. In fact, it was a role reversal of sorts. When Olivia was just five weeks old, Vanessa and her husband learned their newborn daughter had leukemia. After learning of Olivia's diagnosis, Vanessa brought her to the hospital for a fever check. Little did she know, the doctors would confirm that nearly 90% of Olivia's bone marrow cells were leukemia cells. Vanessa tried to be strong for her child as they navigated various tests, surgeries, and chemotherapy to treat Olivia. Every few weeks, Olivia underwent a lumbar puncture to draw fluid from around her spinal cord, a procedure that required no anesthesia due to her young age. The constant need to send Olivia for the test left Vanessa emotionally drained, with tears flowing through each procedure. Despite the pain, Vanessia breastfed Olivia throughout the six months she spent in the hospital, even as the stress affected her milk flow. Her husband, brother, and eldest daughter Kate, who was just ten years old at the time, all played vital roles in providing support during this challenging period. However, it was Kate who made the most unexpected offer. When Vanessa explained that Olivia might need her bone marrow for a stem cell transplant, Kate, without hesitation, offered to provide her bone marrow instead. Fortunately, the doctors confirmed that Kate's stored cord blood would be sufficient for the procedure, sparing Olivia from undergoing a bone marrow transplant. Olivia successfully completed her treatment and was discharged from the hospital when she was eight months old. Five years later, in 2023, Vanessa learned she had breast cancer, leaving her worried about her children and missing time with them. Her two older children, particularly her son Travis, who was just three years old at the time, felt the impact of Olivia's leukemia. Vanessia made a conscious effort to be present for her children, even when she was exhausted from chemotherapy. Despite the emotional toll, she relied on her husband, brother, and friends for support during her treatment, finding comfort in their encouragement and assurance that she would get through this as well.",
  "summary": "After seeing her daughter to recovery, Vanessia was determined to make it through her own cancer.",
  "key_points": [
    "Vanessa Woo and daughter Olivia, both cancer survivors, bond over shared experience",
    "Olivia's bone marrow provides transplant for her mother, sparing her from procedure",
    "Five years after Olivia's leukemia diagnosis, Vanessa battles breast cancer"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}