LOVE Is Blind star Shaina Hurley has revealed she was diagnosed with cancer whilst three months pregnant.
Shaina, 34, who now has a seven-month-old son named Yiorgos with her husband Christos Lardakis, was diagnosed with stage two cervical cancer following an abnormal pap smear.
Despite doctors advising cold-knife conization, a procedure that would likely cause a miscarriage, Shaina refused as it involved removing tissue from the cervix.
She also declined undergo laparoscopic surgery, chemotherapy and early delivery at 32 weeks, opting to carry her baby until 37.5 weeks. Yiorgos was born healthy via C-section.
The reality star told People: "I had no symptoms. But later, the doctor called me and said the pap smear results had come back as abnormal and they needed to get me in for a colposcopy.
"The problem is, I was pregnant. [The] cervix is what holds pregnancy. I was at just around three months and so I would most likely lose the baby. At that point, I just couldn't risk it."
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Shaina’s decisions led to tensions with her husband, who was worried about losing her but ultimately supported her choice.
She explained: "He wanted the baby but he would also say, 'Shaina, I don't want to lose my wife. I want you to be here to raise the baby.'"
But Shaina said that her "faith and strong will" took over, and because she had previously experienced a miscarriage, was determined that "nothing was going to stop" her from having a healthy pregnancy.
Two weeks after giving birth in February, however, she experienced a mini-stroke (TIA) that caused facial drooping and numbness in her hands.
Although she recovered without lasting effects, she underwent the cold-knife conization four weeks later, which did not remove all the cancer.
Six weeks after that, she had a second procedure, and two weeks later, she was informed that she was cancer-free.
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Shaina said she's now focused on motherhood, with regular check-ups every three months, and she also plans to have more children in the future.
The hair stylist appeared on season two of the Netflix dating series, which premiered in February 2022.
In the hit reality show, Shaina got engaged to fellow co-star Kyle Abrams, a 29-year-old glazier.
The two hit it off from the beginning and a tingling spark was quite apparent between them.
Unfortunately, despite his strong affection and dedication toward her, it wasn't an absolute certainty for Shaina.
With Shaina being a devout Christian mixed with Kyle's' atheism, on top of her interest in another contestant, Shayne Jansen, the newly engaged couple struggles to find coherence.
How to protect yourself against cervical cancer
CERVICAL cancer is most commonly diagnosed in women in their early 30s, with around 3,200 new cases and 850 deaths each year in the UK.
According to CRUK, the five-year survival rate is around 70 per cent - and the earlier it is caught, the better.
Cervical screening programmes and HPV vaccines have reduced rates and save 4,000 lives each year.
It is vital you attend your smear test and get jabbed when invited, and that you know the symptoms of cervical cancer to look out for.
These aren’t always obvious, and they may not become noticeable until the cancer has reached an advanced stage.
Women are invited to have regular cervical screenings between the ages of 25 and 64. How often depends on your age.
The HPV vaccine, which helps protect against the virus, is recommended for children aged 12 to 13 and people at higher risk from HPV.
