A MELBOURNE mother is carrying a child she hopes will be a saviour for her daughter, Abby, who has cancer.
Nicola Walker is 18 weeks pregnant with her fourth child - who was conceived naturally - and says she is prepared to do "anything in the world" to help three-year-old Abby.
"We were planning another baby. Abby's illness moved our plans forward," Mrs Walker says.
Nicknamed Princess by her family, which includes father Jim and brothers Nicholas, 12, and Dylan, 6, Abby has suffered acute lymphoblastic leukemia for a year.
If her new baby brother or sister is a perfect match, stem cells from its umbilical cord blood will be used should a bone-marrow transplant become necessary. The cord blood will be retrieved at birth and stored as a life-saving safety net for Abby.
"If the baby is not a match, I have the option to give the stem cells to another child," Mrs Walker says.
"I'll do that in a heartbeat. I wish every mother could donate stem cells from the umbilical cord, but it comes down to a matter of money.
"Storing cord blood can be expensive, but money means nothing when it could save a child's life."
Mrs Walker says she will consider having a fifth child if the baby she is carrying is not a match.
"Absolutely, we would consider it," she says. "As a parent, you would do anything to save your child."
Mrs Walker, 38, who had a miscarriage earlier this year, says she does not want to leave becoming pregnant again too much longer.
She says finding out about Abby's illness was a nightmare.
"It was the blood nose that made me take her to the hospital," she says. "She had been tired and had bruises . . . I had taken her to the GP three months earlier, but no one tested for cancer.
"She has struggled with the chemotherapy, been in intensive care and has fought five severe infections."
As Christmas approaches, Abby is doing well and has been on maintenance treatment for five months.
"She has not relapsed, which is fantastic," her mother says.
Abby will be on the maintenance program until October, after which her new sibling, due in late April, will have been born and the cord blood stored and ready for use if necessary.
"This is not a designer baby, but a much-wanted baby," Mrs Walker says. "Jim and I consider every child a gift. Yes, we were encouraged to have another baby to help Abby, but that is not the reason this child is being born. It is a precious gift and will be much loved."
Mrs Walker says she would not have survived the early months of Abby's treatment without the support of Challenge, a not-for-profit cancer charity that provides support to families.
This week Challenge brought families together for a day of fun and to see Santa.
"The Challenge Christmas party allows families the chance to celebrate and forget about treatment for a day," says Challenge chief executive David Rogers.
For information about Challenge or to make a donation, visit www.challenge.org.au
