While Seven Months Pregnant With Quadruplets, A Kentucky Mom Was Told Her Cancer Had Returned

She was expecting quadruplets after beating cancer, but in her seventh month, doctors confirmed her worst nightmare. Marriage can be a challenge for any couple, and the first year in particular can be full of adjustments for newlyweds. But Kayla Gaytan and her husband, US Army Sergeant Charles, faced more challenges than most, and what they went through is a deeply emotional story.

Kayla, a 29-year-old mother of two from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is a fighter, and that is probably one of the reasons Charles fell in love with her. But after the couple tied the knot on January 19, 2016, their fairytale wedding was quickly followed by some devastating news. Kayla discovered a lump in her neck, and her biopsy results came back just two days after the wedding. Doctors then diagnosed her with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. But even though the situation was undeniably terrifying, the newlyweds faced it with immense resilience. However, as a result of her diagnosis, Kayla was prescribed intensive chemotherapy.

The cancer-fighting chemicals were injected directly into her bloodstream through a port inserted into her chest. While the treatment lasted for more than four months and was a grueling process, some good news came at the end of it. Specifically, in May 2016, doctors announced that Kayla was in remission. However, the reassuring results came with a troubling catch. The damage caused by the intense chemo meant it was highly unlikely Kayla would ever have more children.

Although they already had two children, the couple had always planned on having more. But life can sometimes throw some unexpected surprises your way. Less than a month after doctors told her to forget about having more kids, Kayla actually found out she was pregnant. And during a routine checkup, she received an even bigger surprise. While performing the ultrasound, medical technicians discovered not just one, but four heartbeats.

And so, Kayla was defying the odds not only as a chemo patient but also by carrying quadruplets without any fertility treatments or a direct family history of multiple births. Speaking to CBS News in January 2017, Kayla said:

“It was more than just a complete shock, but also a huge blessing. I remember being in the doctor’s office, seeing the four gestational sacs, and feeling completely stunned. I had four healthy babies in front of me with four heartbeats.”

The good news continued. Throughout the pregnancy, the quadruplets were strong and healthy, completely unaffected by Kayla’s chemo. While doctors wanted Kayla to carry her four babies for anywhere between 28 to 32 weeks, Kayla, with her usual fighting spirit, aimed to make it to 34 weeks. In a January 2017 interview with Fox News, Kayla shared:

“The quadruplets looked amazing. I didn’t experience any high blood pressure, or anything like that. Everything was going perfectly.”

Unfortunately, that didn’t last long. Even though all the medical indicators were positive, Kayla realized something wasn’t quite right. She told Fox News:

“I knew my body well, and the swelling in my neck was telling me that something was wrong.”

This was despite the fact that Kayla’s cancer had been monitored throughout her pregnancy, and all her checkups were showing clean results. But in November 2016, her worst nightmare became a reality. A biopsy confirmed Kayla’s fears; her Hodgkin’s lymphoma had returned. Given the aggressive nature of its return, doctors determined she needed more chemotherapy, and fast. Meanwhile, the babies were only at 28 weeks of gestation.

In January 2017, Kayla expressed her despair to WKRN in Nashville. She stated:

“You think you’ve beaten it the first time. And when it comes back, you just wonder why I’m pregnant with these four babies and then, you know, something like this happens.”

However, doctors had to move quickly to treat Kayla’s returning cancer. On the advice of her medical team, Kayla and Charles decided to induce labor at 30 weeks. Thus, on December 30, 2016, two girls, Lillian Cade and Victoria Ann, and two boys, Michael James and Charles Edward, were born via C-section. They each weighed between two and three pounds. Despite the relatively premature birth, the babies required very little supplemental oxygen and were all able to breathe on their own. Although it was initially believed that all the babies would stay in the hospital for a month and a half, Victoria went home in early February 2017. Kayla told CBS News:

“It’s incredible to see them grow and watch their little bodies fight to stay strong. I am definitely already in awe of their strength as their mother. It’s something that makes me feel very proud.”

But the battle for Kayla was just beginning all over again. She started treatment for the second time in January 2017. She was expected to undergo a stem cell transplant, followed by 16 months of chemotherapy. Kayla candidly told Fox News:

“They gave us a 50% chance of me living for the next five years because the disease came back so quickly.”

Fortunately, the mother received help covering her medical expenses through donations gathered on a GoFundMe page, which has raised over a million dollars for her so far. But Kayla draws her strength from her children. As she stated to Fox News:

“I just know we can get through this. I mean, I have to fight for my children because I want to see them for more than the next five years.”

Kayla added to the network:

“Look, this happens sometimes. Life isn’t always beautiful and rosy. I’m a very stubborn person. I think that’s part of what got me to this point.”

Kayla also explained to CBS News:

“Sometimes you can’t… I mean, it’s not my place to ask, ‘Why me?’ I just believe that, you know, I certainly wasn’t blessed with four babies only to miss seeing them grow up. My advice to other mothers or anyone facing cancer or any other life challenges is to have faith. Even when your faith is tested, keep believing that things will eventually get better. But, I guess like I said, it would be easy to sit here and say, ‘Poor me, poor Kayla.’ That’s not who we are as human beings. I want to see them grow up and make stupid decisions so I can tell them, ‘Hey, that wasn’t very smart.'”