Perstwick mum says baby saved her life

Apr 1 2011 by Stuart Wilson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

A BRAVE mum has paid tribute to her baby – for saving her life.

Christy Watson insists she wouldn’t be alive today if she hadn’t given birth to son Jay.

Medics have revealed that the tot helped identify a huge tumour in Christy’s kidney.

And now she’s thanked her baby boy for giving her a second chance at life.

Christy, who was diagnosed with renal cancer shortly after giving birth, admits her bundle of joy was a guardian angel.

She said: “I had Jay but things never really settled down and I was suffering a lot of bleeding.

“I went for a post-natal scan to try and identify the problem and it was then that things showed up.

“A student radiographer was carrying out an ultrasound scan on my body when she discovered a seven centimetre tumour in my kidney.

“The doctors told me later that I had a very aggressive form of renal cancer and if it hadn’t been detected during that scan then I wouldn’t be here now.

“It’s incredible to think, but having my son saved my life.”

Christy, of Prestwick, is now determined to raise as much money as possible for renal cancer research, which is searching for treatment options.

The disease, which caused her to have a kidney removed, is resistent to chemotherapy which means research into other treatments is required.

Christy, 36, revealed: “My body is clear of the cancer now but I’m still on pills.

“I hadn’t heard much about renal cancer before it affected me but now I want to do as much as I can to help the research facility up at Gartnavel Hospital.”

That’s why Christy and radio DJ pal Jen McGinlay are preparing to tackle a 10k fun run in aid of the cause.

They’ll tackle the run on Sunday, April 10 in Kilmarnock. It’s being organised by the town’s fitness centre.

Jen, a presenter on West FM, confessed: “I’m not much of a runner, so it may be more of a walk for me.

“But I’m sure we’ll struggle through and it’s all for a good cause so hopefully we can raise as much money as possible.”

Anyone interested in taking part should call 01563 545 345. All proceeds on the day go to renal cancer research in Scotland.