MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — Late last year, we introduced you to a Mt. Juliet mom-to-be who found out she had breast cancer at 30 weeks pregnant.
She had hoped to breastfeed her baby, but cancer took away that option.
NewsChannel 5's Carrie Sharp shared her story, and some local moms took it from there.
"She’s content she loves to be held — that’s all she wants," said mom Erin Ackerman.
In two short months, Willow Rose has stolen hearts.
"It’s full of joy and laughter and lack of sleep," Ackerman laughed. "I don’t have a single complaint. I really don’t."
And for this new mom, that's saying more than you think. At 30 weeks pregnant, Ackerman found out she had breast cancer — likely an aggressive form — and her baby would need to come early so she could start treatment. But when NewsChannel 5 shared her story and plea for a milk donor, midstate moms came to the rescue — getting screened and donating breast milk that filled the Ackerman's freezer.
"Were you shocked by this — that people would go to those lengths?" Carrie asked.
"I didn’t imagine that people could be so kind when it came to something like that because that’s asking a lot. You’ve got to feed your baby too, and they went above and beyond and here they are feeding mine," Ackerman said.
Born at 5 pounds 13 ounces, Willow Rose now weighs in just shy of 12 pounds.
And the good news extends to Erin herself. Recent scans show her cancer hasn't spread and the tumor is shrinking. However, there is still a long road ahead with several rounds of chemo, followed by radiation and surgery.
She hopes to be cancer free by Willow's first birthday.
You can donate to her milk campaign and get more information via her Facebook page.
