Teen Mom Who Refused Cancer Treatment to Protect Unborn Baby Passes Away

Dana Scatton, a teen mother who had rejected cancer treatment to protect her unborn baby, passed away last week, her family reported.

“We may never have the right things to say to truly honor the amazing, smart, loving, caring, passionate, incredibly beautiful and free spirited mother, daughter, niece, sister, cousin, friend and independent woman Dana was every day,” her family posted to Facebook.

Scatton was nearly 18 when she gave birth to Aries Marie in January 2018, reported Live Action. Several months earlier, however, Scatton had been diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an inoperable brain tumor.

With a prognosis of only three to nine months to live, Scatton, the youngest of nine children, was told immediate radiation treatment could prolong her life but could also harm her unborn child. Scatton chose to wait as long as possible before beginning the cancer treatment to ensure her daughter was safe.

Scatton gave birth via C-section when Aries was at 33 weeks gestation and was able to breathe on her own. The teen mother lived about 17 months from the time of her diagnosis, battling her illness often with her daughter at her side.

“She inspired us all to be better than who we are and to keep God in our focus at every moment,” her family said. “She faced the greatest fear of all, death, and smiled back with a grin only God can instill. She fought harder than the toughest warriors known to man and did it with grace and valor.”