Teen influencer with terminal cancer divides opinion by announcing pregnancy - although she has months to live

Isabel Veloso has taken to Instagram to announce she is expecting a baby with her husband of four months, Lucas Borbas.

The 18-year-old who lives in Brazil, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, an uncommon cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, in 2021 at the age of 15.

The teen influencer, who has over 3.2 million followers on Instagram, underwent chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant and was then given the all clear in November 2023. Her cancer returned even more aggressively just three months later, however. Then, in January this year, Veloso was given the devastating news that her condition was terminal, and she only has months to live.

Doctors initially told her she would have between four and six months to live, but follow-up tests revealed her life expectancy may be even shorter than first thought. The teenager has a 6.6inch tumor between her lungs which also impacts her heart.

But, Veloso recently took to her Instagram page with some good news for her followers, telling them that she and Borbas - who married in April - are expecting a miracle baby. In the photo, the couple are in a field looking lovingly at each other. In the foreground is a fake newspaper reading 'Breaking News,' with 'Baby's Coming' as the headline alongside a picture of the ultrasound.

In the caption, the mum-to-be quoted Psalm 139:16 from The Bible, writing: “Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book. Before one of them came to be.” She added a message for her unborn child: “Love you.”

It’s not clear exactly how far along in her pregnancy Veloso is, but the first scan photo is usually given to expectant mums at the 12 week scan, which can actually be performed at any time between 10 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. It’s thought, therefore, that Veloso is likely to be between 3 to 4 months pregnant.

Veloso, who says in her Instagram bio that she is “living with cancer in palliative care and telling stories” has previously posted videos stating that her dream is to be married and have a family.

Her post has since gone viral with hundreds of thousands of likes and comments, and her fans aren’t quite sure how to feel about the baby news given Veloso’s prognosis. While some users were quick to offer their congratulations, others questioned why she wanted to have a baby with not long to live, questioning also how the medication she is on will impact the baby's development.

One shared her own experience with terminal cancer, saying that her mum died only 75 days after she was diagnosed. “When the symptoms started, in less than a month she was already taking morphine. After two months she became delirious and by the third month she did not recognise her children. 56 pills a day, more than 10 types of medicine. The doctor had given her six months, we didn't even have three,' she recalled.

She added that some of Veloso’s fans were finding it hard to believe that she had actually been given such an awful prognosis in the wake of her baby announcement, and said she found it “strange” that anyone would choose to have a baby in such circumstances. “In the last 10 days she fell asleep and barely woke up. Who am I to disbelieve this story? Nobody. But I find it completely strange, even more so having witnessed how devastating end-stage cancer is, she wrote.

One person went as far to say: “Until this moment I believed her story, now I no longer. NO ONE with terminal cancer would do such a thing.”

One user asked: “Doesn't she take strong medications? I ask because during pregnancy, you can't even take anti-allergy drugs.” Another simply delcared: “Ego and irresponsibility.” One more added: “hat selfishness.”

Another person, however, claimed that a baby could be the best thing for the poorly teen on the basis of their own experience. “My daughter was cured of cancer when she got pregnant. The doctors said that the amount of hormones produced makes it easier. But of course, everything has God's hand, they said.

A cancer survivor said: “I had breast cancer at 27, then I had a tumour and lost an ovary and a fallopian tube. After hearing countless times that I couldn't have children, at 32 I had Helena, a baby hope. Life goes on, even with cancer, or after it. I'm so happy for you.”