Mum Discovers Surprise Twins During Scan and Doctors Spot Something Huge

Katie Matthews had just gone in for what she thought would be a routine pregnancy scan. She and her husband Tommy were expecting a moment of excitement, maybe even a bit of surprise and they got it, but not in the way they imagined.

“We were told ‘your twins are fine, but your spleen is about 25 centimetres’. Me and my husband thought, ‘what do you mean twins’,” Katie recalled, according to the Independent.

But the joy of finding out they were having twins was short-lived. What followed was a devastating diagnosis — Katie, 32, had myelofibrosis, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer that causes scarring in the bone marrow and prevents it from making enough healthy blood cells.

A scan in June 2024 showed an enlarged spleen and a blood clot in a key vein. After further tests and a biopsy, doctors confirmed the cancer just as Katie hit 15 weeks pregnant.

Since then, life has been turned upside down. What should’ve been a time filled with hope and baby plans became one of hospital appointments, chemotherapy, and difficult conversations.

“Being a mother and being pregnant while being diagnosed with blood cancer is the worst thing that you could hear,” Katie said. “We felt like our lives have been paused.”

Despite the diagnosis, Katie and Tommy welcomed their twins, Bella-Rose and Lennon, last October. The babies were born early at 32 weeks due to the risks, but they were healthy.

Doctors believe Katie’s situation is unique the only known case of its kind and that has only added to the anxiety. “I’ve had so many different doctors, consultants, professors involved but they never know what’s right or wrong because this has never happened,” she said.

Her prognosis is tough. Without a stem cell transplant, she’s been told she has roughly six years left. It’s a reality Katie is refusing to accept without a fight.

“The stem cell transplant is the only cure for my cancer,” she said. “It will give me more time, a whole new life basically.”

Katie is now working closely with the Anthony Nolan charity, which helps find stem cell donors for people with blood cancer. Her brother sadly wasn’t a match, so now the search has widened to global donor registers. But the window is small, and time matters.

“The community for myelofibrosis is so small, especially for the younger generation,” Katie said. “I hope sharing my story helps to meet others like me.”

Katie, who works as a beauty therapist, is staying strong for her family and is determined to raise awareness. She and Tommy, both Liverpool FC fans, are planning to wear Anthony Nolan t-shirts at the club’s upcoming Premier League trophy parade to help spread the message.

“You could save somebody like me,” she said. “I want to be able to live the rest of my life and have more time with my children. I’m going to stay strong and positive, and I also want to help as many people as possible. I’m not prepared to die now and I’m not going to.”

If you’re aged 16 to 30 and in good health, you can sign up online to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register and receive a simple swab kit in the post. It takes minutes and it could be someone’s second chance at life.

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