Mom Speaks Out About Touching Photo that Showed Her Breastfeeding Newborn Post-Mastectomy

Gabrielle Olya
·2 min read

Sarah Whitney was 20 weeks pregnant when she found out she had stage-3 breast cancer, and immediately had to undergo a mastectomy and chemotherapy.

Despite her medical hardships, Whitney, 31, gave birth to a healthy baby boy in April. Her son instinctively began feeding on her remaining breast, and the moving moment was captured in a series of photographs posted to her midwife office’s Facebook page.

“She really wanted to breastfeed after having many of her birth choices and preferences taken from her if only for a short time because cancer treatments resume when she is discharged from the hospital,” posted Gentle Birth Options, LLC. “These images show the incredible strength and love through the art of breastfeeding.”

The photos quickly went viral, and currently have over 300,000 likes. Whitney told TODAY Parents that she was shocked that the images resonated with so many people.

“I think for different people, they mean different things – maybe it’s the vulnerability, or maybe it’s that any woman that’s had a child knows you would do anything for them, or maybe it’s seeing a mom breastfeed against all odds,” she said.

Unfortunately, two weeks after the photo was taken, the Florida mom of three had to stop breastfeeding to begin a stronger round of cancer treatments.

“I breastfed my first two children and I loved it,” she said. “I was looking forward to doing that again with my child and having that bond, so when they told me [ ] that I wouldn’t be able to breastfeed, I was heartbroken.”

Whitney has since completed chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and is now receiving infusions of the medication Herceptin. According to TODAY, she will also be taking an anti-hormone medication for 10 years, and is considering having her remaining breast removed as a preventive measure.

While she can no longer breastfeed, Whitney has received donations of breastmilk from other mothers in her community, and says her son continues to thrive.

“He’s amazing.”