Jennifer Lake was a 16-year-old student at Pocatello High School in Idaho when she began having acute headaches out of nowhere. She had a feeling something was awry and decided to go to the family doctor for a series of tests. Jennifer found she had a brain tumor after her doctor ordered an MRI on her head. That was the most heartbreaking news a teenager could get.
She thought her life was ahead of her and hoped it would be joyous and carefree, but unfortunately she was fighting a terrible cancer. Doctors initially told her and her family that the growth was about two centimeters broad, but after a series of subsequent tests and scans, it was discovered that the situation was far worse, and the tumor was even larger. Unfortunately, the cancer spread to other areas of her body.
Jennifer was warned that even if she chose to take chemotherapy, her odds of survival were minimal. She was also advised that if she survived, the treatments would render her sterile and she would never be able to have children. “Jenni just flat out asked them if she was going to die,” her father, Mike Lake, a truck driver from Rexburg, north of Pocatello, told the Idaho State Journal.’
We were told she couldn’t get pregnant, so we didn’t worry about it,’ her 19-year-old boyfriend Nathan explained. However, something unexpected occurred, and the couple discovered they were expecting a child. That changed things for Jennifer, whose greatest dream was to become a mother one day. But that meant she had to make a difficult choice. It was either her child’s or her own life that was at stake.
If she opted to carry on with the pregnancy, she would have to discontinue the treatment. This brave young girl chose to follow her heart and deliver the baby, despite the fact that it put her life in danger. Chad Michael was welcomed into the world nine months later. Diana Phillips, Jennifer’s mother, described her grandchild’s birth and how her daughter grabbed the midwife’s hand and murmured, “I’m done, I did what I was supposed to.”
“My baby will arrive safely!”Jennifer was discharged from the hospital just six days after giving birth. Unfortunately, she only had six days with her bundle of joy in the comfort of her own home. Chad was in her arms the moment she died. Jennifer was overjoyed since she got to give birth and kiss her kid. She made the greatest sacrifice for her children, demonstrating what moms are capable of.
Jennifer’s family is making sure Chad knows all his mother accomplished for him and how much she loved him years after her death. Since 2011, when she left this earth, her story has touched many people’s hearts. People continue to pay respect to Jennifer’s sacrifice on a Facebook page dedicated to her life and journey. This story moved me to my core. Please spread the word in order to preserve Jennifer’s legacy.