Jo Powell tried for years to get pregnant, so, when she finally did, it should have been a joyous occasion. But just days after finding out that she was having a baby, she had to make a nightmarish choice.

Powell, a 41-year-old office administrator, had always hoped to build a family with her husband, Richard. But the pair hadn’t had any luck getting pregnant – until they found out they were expecting in 2010.

But the Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom-based pair would only experience their parent-to-be bliss for a few days. That’s because, just after finding out that she was pregnant, Powell discovered that one of her breasts had a lump.