When doctors told Tasha Kann her best chance at her survival was to kill her unborn baby, the young mother refused, saying it wasn’t God’s will.
About 20 weeks pregnant with her second child, Kann was urged to start chemotherapy immediately to fight the aggressive brain cancer. But leaning heavily on her faith, Kann instead used a holistic approach and says she is “disgusted” that the doctors suggested she terminate her baby’s life.
Almost one year since Gracey was born in October 2022, Kann is still alive but in May 2023, the malignant tumor morphed into a more deadly cancer that’s resistant to treatments, and now she needs a miracle.
Almost two years ago, Kann was lying in bed, waiting for what she thought was a migraine to pass.
Then, the now 30-year-old started to feel tingling in her arms and legs, and she was unable to move or stand.
Thinking she was having a stroke, the Michigan native yelled for help and was rushed to emergency, where she had a CT scan that revealed a large mass in her brain.
After several more tests over months, Kann, who at this time was 20 weeks pregnant, was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare and aggressive malignant brain cancer, that tends to develop into Glioblastoma Multiforme a more aggressive tumor that lives and travels in the brain and central nervous system (CNS).
Classified as a grade three tumor, with a typical survival rate of three to five years, Kann’s option was first surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiation.
Held up in a hospital bed, Kann and her husband Taylor–a former Oscoda County Sheriff’s deputy–waited to hear the treatment options presented by the team of three doctors, who stood at the foot of the bed.
“They all looked at me and told me my best chances of survival would be to get an abortion and start treatment immediately, which might give me five to eight years of survival,” she told Fox News Digital, explaining that her faith held the most weight in her decision. “Aborting my baby was never an option to me because it goes against God’s will…I had many deep conversations with Jesus that week in the hospital, and knew that if I held onto the Lord and his promises, he would keep my baby safe.”
“Disgusted” that doctors continued to pedal an abortion even when, over the course of her pregnancy, her scans remained stable, Kann admits she was a “little scared,” but never lost hope.
Once she delivered the baby safely, then Kann said she focus on her recovery.
“If the cancer was already as bad as they said, killing my baby wouldn’t have saved me anyway,” she added.
Working as a hospice nurse, Kann has witnessed the grim side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, also noting that “it doesn’t always work.”
“I knew it would be a ‘no’ for me…I decided to go home and do my own research and figure it out, while keeping my baby alive.”
Looking into holistic treatment options, Kann changed her diet, exercised and added supplements to her days, hoping it would effectively fight the cancer.
In October 2022, her two-year-old son Deklan became a big brother to Gracey, who was born happy and healthy.
“If I had listened–like most patients do, because they trust their doctors and don’t do their own research–my baby wouldn’t be here. It’s a miracle from God that we are both here.”
Walking by faith
After the mom delivered Gracey, the hospital said treatment was still an option, but that all changed in May 2023 when the invariably fatal cancer, Gliomatosis Cerebri–a primary CNS tumor–was discovered.
Sharing a note on her Facebook, Kann explains that doctors were very wrong with initially recommending an abortion because treatment is ineffective for this kind of cancer. She writes, “Prognosis is 12 months. With this, there are no treatment options. She also told us radiation to the CNS is never a treatment option and she was unsure why the doctors gave this as an option in the beginning.”
Her prognosis of survival was shortened from years to months, and now doctors are saying radiation and chemo won’t work.
“There’s a spot of cancer in my central nervous system where the cancer is coming from. They’re actually surprised to see that I’m walking and talking and living a normal life,” said Kann. “My prognosis isn’t good, so they don’t even want to try. I’m not giving up. I won’t.”
Now that chemo and radiation won’t work, Kann started visited a Texas clinic and started immunotherapy, an alternative treatment that’s not FDA approved or covered by insurance.
Friends of the family started a GoFundMe to help ease the financial burden of the young couple, who are required to pay $17,000 for monthly treatments and a total of $200,00+ for recommended 12 months.
Added to that cost is travel to the Texas clinic as the couple is unable to find a state oncologist willing to work with them and the integrative clinic.
Meanwhile, they are continuing scans in Michigan.
These days, Kann said she is “walking by faith,” and focusing on raising her two young children.
“Every time I talk to [doctors], they make it seem like I’m going to die any day, but I’m still able to live a semi-normal life–walking, eating, talking–while having cancer in my central nervous system.”
Although Kann said she feels “normal” a lot of the time, she has experienced periodic sight loss, seizure activity, and facial numbness.
“The oncologist said she doesn’t know how it’s possible I’m still alive. How can there be any other answer than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?” She continued, “I will continue to follow and pray, give thanks and worship, as long as I’m living–especially when the doctors said I shouldn’t be…I’ll continue to prove them wrong.”
Kann said her hope for the future is that she will become cancer-free and be able to raise her “two beautiful babies.”
She added, “The only thing I ever wanted to be in life was a mom.”
What a tragic outcome for Tasha but we really admire her strength and courage. Our thoughts go out to this young family and hope that Tasha Kann finds some peace in her journey.
Please share this story and let’s get some prayers going for this beautiful family!
If you enjoyed reading about Tasha Kann and how her faith in God is helping her deal with this diagnosis, you’ll really like this story on an infant beating cancer!
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