Motherhood After Cancer: Daniela Shiver's Inspiring Journey of Survival
Daniela Shiver, a 34-year-old mother of three, shares her inspiring journey of battling cancer diagnosed just days after giving birth, overcoming the disease, and later welcoming a new baby.
The baby was carefully placed on the white pillow and led to Elijah's chair. The new mother accompanied him with her gaze, her eyes moist and her lips whispering a prayer. "I stood there and said: 'God, I thank You that I was privileged to see him born, and I ask of You only one thing - give me to live and raise him'."
Five and a half years ago, four days after the birth of her second son, Daniela Shiver (Golan), 34, received test results informing her that she had cancer. At the time of the interview, she is putting sweet two-and-a-half-year-old Aluma to sleep, while Lavi and Oz, the older ones, are already asleep. An everyday family moment - but not trivial.
"Nothing is taken for granted"
Daniela and Yosef married young - she was 24 and he was 25. "We took our time before getting pregnant for the first time," Daniela opens, noting that the long-awaited pregnancy finally arrived after treatments. "Ever since then, the understanding that nothing is taken for granted has accompanied me. Often there are difficulties after the first birth. But in my case, after the birth I lay in the hospital and declared: I want another child," she laughs.
By the grace of heaven, a few months later the couple was blessed with another pregnancy, this time natural. In the 38th week of her pregnancy, Daniela noticed a lump under the skin. She attributed it to pregnancy-related phenomena and remained calm. "The next day I told my mother about it, and she immediately went into action." Appointments for surgery were far off, but the mother did not give up. "She started pulling strings and calling whoever she could. Finally, an appointment was set with a surgeon from one day to the next." The test confirmed an unusual finding. Daniela was sent for an ultrasound, which immediately proceeded to take a biopsy sample. She was released with the knowledge that the results would arrive in the coming weeks.
A Difficult Diagnosis After Childbirth
Days after the test, Daniela and Yosef's son was brought into the world - a sweet and chubby baby weighing 4.100 kg. A day after leaving the maternity ward, while planning to go rest, a phone call was received from an unknown number. The speaker identified himself as the surgeon she had consulted.
"The doctor asked me how I was feeling and requested that I come to the hospital the next day," Daniela recalls. At the hospital, the devastating blow was delivered: she was diagnosed with cancer. Despite the shock, the doctor's reassuring words - that it would be a difficult year but she would get through it - provided a glimmer of hope.
Battling the Disease While Raising Newborns
The first month after the discovery was dedicated to fertility preservation. Soon after, she began grueling chemotherapy sessions. Losing her hair was one of the most painful external reminders of the illness, yet she maintained a positive outlook and focused on her deep faith and family. Being a sick mother to a newborn and a toddler brought immense pangs of conscience, but she pushed through every obstacle.
After five rounds of chemotherapy and subsequent surgery, doctors discovered that the chemotherapy had completely eradicated the cancerous cells. Following preventive treatments and a period of recovery, Daniela welcomed another healthy baby girl named Aluma - a ray of light after the storm.
