A Melbourne mum who incredibly survived a heart attack at 35 weeks pregnant and battled two types of cancer is thanking the healthcare teams - and her children - who saved her life.
Lara Scott’s motherhood journey has been anything but easy.
Just after the now 34-year-old gave birth to her first daughter Ada, in 2021, Lara noticed a golf-ball sized lump on her throat.
After some encouragement, and with her three-week-old daughter in tow, she had an ultrasound and biopsy to investigate.
Sadly, Lara’s biopsy revealed a rare type of papillary thyroid cancer that had spread to the lymph nodes on both sides of her neck. It required surgery within weeks.
“Ada was born in May and I had my first surgery in July,” Lara recalls.
Thankfully, the surgery was successful – but 12 months later, another two lumps appeared and Lara was told her cancer had returned. She again underwent surgery – this time, just after Ada’s first birthday.
Despite her challenges, Lara continued to rise, undergoing physiotherapy to regain function of her neck and throat and readjusting to motherhood. Life was starting to feel normal again.
In February this year when she and husband Tyrone were excitedly preparing for the birth of their second child, Elsie, things took yet another turn.
“It started with a tight chest, heart palpitations and tremors in my hands, then a really severe headache hit and I became sensitive to light,” Lara recalls.
“I thought I had preeclampsia (high blood pressure) and instantly feared something was wrong with the baby.
“I went to the Women’s… by the time I got there I could barely talk or walk– I was seen within a few minutes and was soon surrounded by multiple doctors.”
Lara wasn’t just unwell - she was having a heart attack.
And she credits her concern for Elsie with saving her life - stating she otherwise wouldn’t have got out of bed to take herself to hospital.
“My baby literally saved my life” she said.
Teams at the Women's stabilised Lara before moving her across to the Royal Melbourne Hospital’s Emergency Department and then to the Coronary Care Unit.
Here she received specialist heart care and had twice daily checks from midwives and doctors from the Women’s.
A week later, Lara was induced at the Women’s and safely delivered another baby girl, Elsie.
Unimaginably, a few days later Lara suffered another, smaller heart attack and further tests revealed why: a 12cm tumor on her left adrenal gland, called a phaeochromocytoma.
A second diagnosis, once again so soon after giving birth, was shattering – and one of Lara’s biggest fears was that she wouldn’t be able to breastfeed Elsie due to pre-surgery medication.
But thanks to the advocacy of the Women’s and Lara’s long-time surgeon, Professor Julie Miller, Head of Endocrine Surgery at the RMH, Lara was put on medication that wouldn’t hinder her breastfeeding.
“The doctors at the Women’s advocated so strongly for me so I could keep my breastfeeding dream alive,” Lara said.
“I was transferred to the care of the endocrinology team at the RMH, where with the help of the Women’s, they altered all pre-surgery and scans medications; organised breastfeeding safe pain relief for surgery and had a lactation consultant see me post-surgery.
“It was so incredible to see both teams work together towards the same goal.”
Prof Miller said both cancers were incredibly rare – and seeing two uncommon tumors in one young patient even more so.
“To the patient, it feels like they’re having panic attacks,” Prof Miller said of the phaeochromocytoma.
“Their heart starts racing, they feel really anxious and their blood pressure spikes up. Lara was getting chest palpitations… and as a result of the burst of adrenaline, she suffered a heart attack.”
There is no known link between Lara’s two cancers although doctors are continuing investigations and further testing.
Lara is now – finally – recovering at home and adjusting to life as a mum-of-two, something she is grateful for in every way.
“Ada is a typical three-year-old, she’s so full of love and energy” she said.
“It’s almost ironic – Elsie had this big tumor pushing down on her in the womb, but she is the calmest, happiest little baby. She’s a little dream.”
Lara thanked the many teams, across both hospitals, who were involved in her care.
“I am forever grateful for the care and kindness I received from both hospitals– we’re so lucky to have this level of public healthcare in Australia,” she said.
“It’s the little things like my doctors from the Women’s coming to see me at the RMH post-surgery that made me feel so safe and well cared for.
“The collaboration between both hospitals was incredible. I can’t thank them enough"
Prof Miller said Lara had “incredible grace and resilience” despite all she’d endured.
“I admire her a lot. She has a special spot in my heart,” Prof Miller said.
Credit: Article written and first published by our colleagues from the Royal Melbourne Hospital.