By: Cathy Padilla | May 6, 2022 | Local , Meet Your Neighbor | Atlantic Highlands , Colts Neck , Fair Haven , Holmdel , Lincroft , Little Silver , Locust , Middletown , Oceanport , Red Bank , Rumson , Sea Bright , Shrewsbury
Her story is one of hope and determination.
After being told pregnancy would be impossible for her, she endured her second bout with an aggressive cancer while pregnant. Despite the advice of specialists to terminate the pregnancy, she postponed needed treatments to keep her unborn child safe despite a possible Down syndrome diagnosis. Six and a half years later she is cancer-free, her son is healthy, and she has a new book coming out later this year titled Don’t Look Up the Mountain. The epitome of what a mother’s love can endure and provide, meet your neighbor Laila Hardy-Johnson.
On a beautiful June afternoon in 2006, Laila, a physically fit and seemingly healthy health coach and personal trainer, was given the surprise diagnosis of acute lymphocytic leukemia. She was immediately admitted to the hospital and isolated for her own protection.
“My life completely changed in that one moment,” shared Laila. “Life as I knew it in Manhattan was history. Mind you, I felt healthy and never imagined that I had such a serious cancer. But treatment was aggressive for the first year and then I had ‘lighter’ chemo for another year and a half. I had to move out of my apartment in NYC and leave my job and dreams behind.”
Laila moved to Manasquan and found a way to survive the ordeal. By 2011 she was considered cured. Having met her future husband, Erik, during that time, the couple married in 2013.
“I was 39, so we started trying for a baby pretty soon after getting married,” explained Laila. “I did get pregnant, but it was ectopic and not viable. After consulting a fertility specialist to find out why, we found that there was a polyp in front of one my tubes which was eventually surgically removed. Being that I am so focused on natural remedies, for months after the ectopic I dove into research on the best support to conceive naturally. I followed a different way of eating and added supportive supplements. Eventually the specialist advised me that I wouldn’t be able to carry a pregnancy to term with my aging eggs. The day after that conversation, we conceived my son naturally on Jan 1, 2015.”
Having wanted so badly to give birth to her own child, Laila and Erik’s dream of parenthood was happening despite the odds. But their celebration was short-lived.
“By April 2015, the leukemia had returned and I was admitted to the hospital to start treatment,” said Laila. “It seemed impossible at first to find an oncologist to treat me while pregnant. Some highly respected doctors wanted me to terminate the pregnancy. I couldn’t. I loved him already and he was my last chance to have my own child. We also got bloodwork results suggesting a high probability that he had Down syndrome. My team really wanted to do an amnio to be sure. I refused. I couldn’t risk the pregnancy. I told them it was self-preservation because I knew I wouldn’t make it if something happened to him. In order to protect him, I got a modified chemotherapy protocol until he was born. He was born healthy, and to the shock of all the doctors, without Down syndrome. We named him Luke.”
Always keeping a sense of humor and finding ways to uplift herself and others, Laila called on her favorite movie for inspiration.
Every time someone would ask my how the baby was doing during my pregnancy, being the Star Wars geek that I am, I would say ‘the force is strong with this one’,” shared Laila. “After tossing around so many names, Erik and I looked at each other and knew what his name should be. Master Luke was born!”
Having been through what some would imagine to be the worst part, Laila would soon meet with more significant physical challenges.
“Two weeks after Luke was born, I had to leave him for five weeks to get a bone marrow transplant,” said Laila. “I still break down crying when I think of saying good-bye to him that morning. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see him again. My comfort was that he was out of my body and healthy! My attitude once at the hospital was ‘let’s just get this done’ because I desperately wanted to get back to my son. Nothing could have prepared me for the physical devastation that occurred. I thought that I had seen it all with my rigorous chemo treatments. I was wiped out and completely leveled, but I feel like I clawed my way through to get to the finish line which was home with Luke. And I did get home, although it actually took me about two years to feel like myself again. I am happy to report that I am six and a half years cancer free and pray that it stays that way. I feel that I have so much more to do and so much to experience with my family.”
Later this month Laila will speak as part of a panel of authors at Sips ‘n Tips to Slay Your Dreams, a series of events with Inspired Girl Enterprises (May 19 at Nordstrom, Menlo Park Mall). At the event and in her new book, she shares her story of how she conceived her son naturally and survived and overcame impossible odds.
“During my treatment, when I was in a dark and scary place, stories of survival pulled me forward,” said Laila. “I hope my story will help anyone who needs it. It doesn’t have to be a sickness that someone is experiencing. Life is hard, but if we keep putting one foot in front of the other, and find the support we need, we find that possibilities present themselves. Coming back from being leveled both physically and emotionally, navigating depression, and enduring a lack of joy and hopelessness is a story from which many can benefit.”
Feeling the healthiest she ever has, Laila cherishes every moment of every day with her husband, son, and fur babies Smokey, Puma, and Lola.
“I love everything about being a mom,” said Laila. “I knew I loved him like crazy the second I saw his heartbeat fluttering on the screen, but when he arrived, I felt love like I have never felt before. He was my very own child, something I never knew for sure would happen. He is really a happy kid, which we just eat up. His happiness is our happiness. What I find funny is that I never thought that I’d be this kind of mom. I really thought I’d be busy with my career and have babysitters. There is nothing I’d rather be doing than watching Luke grow and develop into such a great little boy. I also know that time flies and he will be an adult before I know it. I cherish every giggle because I also remember what it was like hoping for him, hoping he’d come one day, hoping he’d be ok during my treatment, and hoping to get home to him.”
Sips ‘n Tips to Slay Your Dreams with Jenn & Jess from Inspired Girl Enterprises
May 19th from 6:00 to 8:30 pm
Nordstrom, Menlo Park Mall
Panel Discussion with Authors: Carla Bushey, Brianna McCabe, Danielle Haines Heuer, Laila Hardy Johnson, and Jennifer Garcia Mawson
For more information, visit inspiredgirlenterprises.com.
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