Pregnant Miami County woman loses battle against rare cancer

UPDATE @ 6:30 p.m. (June 9): News Center 7's Kate Bartley spoke with Chrissy Anderson, who called Danielle Hollobaugh "the best friend anyone could have."

Friday, Anderson told Bartley “We had an angel with us for all these years,. She always just wanted to be a mom."

Anderson said Danielle was her best friend for more than 20 years.

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“She was the most amazing person, she had the biggest heart and I know so many people say that, but she really did,” Anderson said.

Anderson said baby Mikayla was born June 4 and immediately taken by CareFlight to Children’s Hospital Medical Center for surgery to correct an intertwined esophagus and trachea.

Pregnant Miami Co. woman with rare cancer dies Pregnant Miami Co. woman with rare cancer dies

On June 7, Danielle took a turn for the worst, Anderson said.

CareFlight flew the baby back to Dayton to be with her mother, Anderson said.

“I got to see her on her mommy’s chest. You know, to watch them breathe in sync together.”

Danielle died just after midnight Thursday, June 8. Mikayla died soon thereafter.

A celebration of life is set from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday in West Milton.

UPDATE @ 9:40 p.m. (June 8): Danielle Hollobaugh of West Milton has died.

She died at Kettering Medical Center on Wednesday, Elizabeth Long, spokeswoman with the health network, said tonight.

Long said federal regulations prevent her from saying anything more, including the status of the baby.

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According to a post tonight on John Hollobaugh’s Facebook page: “I miss you sooooo much but I know that you are pain and disease free raising our little girl in heaven. I will never stop loving you and my sweet Mikayla. ... I only wish I could have traded places with you and Mikayla so you could have lived the life together that you absolutely deserved.”

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INITIAL REPORT (March 24)

A West Milton newlywed's pregnancy led her to find out not-so-joyous news as well: she had cancer.

This type of cancer Danielle Hollobaugh is fighting is so rare, there’s only been a few hundred women diagnosed with it.

“We’re having a girl,” Hollobaugh said from her private room at Kettering Medical Center, where there are two patients. “Mikayla Marie, mmhmm, Mikayla means gift from God, so that was the perfect fit for her.”

This week’s ultrasound ... “she was perfect,” Hollobaugh said.

It’s because of their unborn child that John and Danielle Hollobaugh found out anything was wrong. Danielle Hollobaugh’s doctor said she felt bigger than what she should be at eight weeks. An ultrasound and MRI confirmed she had a tumor, and that it was growing.

“Terrified, scared, just praying that it was nothing serious,” is how Hollobaugh described what went through her mind.

Further testing revealed she has small cell carcinoma ovarian hypercalcemia.

“We did decide to keep the pregnancy,” she said.

She had surgery. But later, she had severe pain and found out the cancer had spread. Now her treatment is more aggressive, all while doctors are aware of her baby girl still growing inside of her.

“We can keep the baby, and it’s in God’s hands, He’s with us. It’s going to be up to Him how Mikayla does,” Hollobaugh said.

Seventeen weeks along today, she has almost three months to go until doctors will consider delivery. Her team wants to wait as long as they can. Through it all, Hollobaugh is upbeat, and she said her nurses are “amazed” by her positivity.

“My family, my friends are just amazing, they really are, and now I’m going to cry!” But through her tears, the mother-to-be had to say one more thing: “I just want others to be aware of this, this cancer, too, because it’s such a silent cancer. “I hope to be able to save someone else’s life, too, and that’s my goal.”