text: A woman told she was infertile after undergoing gruelling cancer treatment has spoken of her joy at giving birth to a baby boy. Doctors told Cara Newton, 32, from Fleet, Hampshire, she had a zero per cent chance of conceiving naturally after being diagnosed with bone cancer in 2009. While Mrs Newton and her husband, Chris, 34, were relieved that chemotherapy had worked, they were devastated to be told they would never have a family of their own. Some chemotherapy drugs permanently stop the ovaries from producing eggs. This means a woman can no longer get pregnant and may have symptoms of the menopause, as Mrs Newton did. Cara Newton, 32 (with husband Chris), was told she had a zero per cent chance of conceiving naturally after being diagnosed with bone cancer in 2009. To her utter surprise, she conceived baby Sebastian naturally . Mrs Newton was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma - a rare type of bone cancer - in April 2009. She had to undergo several rounds of chemotherapy which doctors said would destroy her fertility . After IVF failed, the couple feared they would never become parents. But 10 months later they were astounded to discover Mrs Newton had become pregnant naturally with baby Sebastian, who was born last April . The couple tried IVF using a donor egg but when that failed, they feared the worst. Then 10 months later, to their utter surprise, Mrs Newton became pregnant naturally with baby Sebastian, who was born last April. She said: 'I was heartbroken when doctors told me I had zero chance of ever becoming a mum. 'Chemotherapy had taken my hair, made me sick and plummeted by body into early menopause. 'I had always wanted children but my hopes of having my own family had been destroyed overnight.' She added: 'Chris and I decided to try IVF using a donor egg. Even though the baby wouldn't biologically be mine, at least I would experience pregnancy and we would become parents.' 'When it failed I was gutted, but just months later I fell pregnant naturally, it was a dream come true. We had to keep pinching ourselves to check it was real.' Mrs Newton was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma - a rare type of bone cancer - in April 2009. She had become concerned after suffering from pain in her leg - something she first thought was a pulled a muscle. But an MRI confirmed her worst fears - she had bone cancer and could lose her leg. She said: 'I was terrified when I heard the word "cancer" and the amount of treatment I would need.' During surgery, Mrs Newton had 13cm of bone removed from her femur, which was replaced with a metal internal prosthesis. Mrs Newton had 13cm of bone removed from her femur, which was replaced with a metal internal prosthesis . She also underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, all the time worrying she would lose her leg. She said: 'I ended up in intensive care a couple of times as the chemotherapy made me so ill that my body couldn't cope with the treatment. Chemotherapy can stop a woman's ovaries from working either temporarily or possibly permanently. The extend of the damage on fertility depends on the drugs and doses a patient receives. Some chemotherapy drugs are also more likely than others to cause infertility. Permanent infertility is more likely if a patient have higher doses of the drugs. It is also more likely in older women, especially those nearing the age where they would naturally have a menopause. Some chemotherapy drugs permanently stop the ovaries from producing eggs. If this happens, a woman can no longer get pregnant and may have symptoms of the menopause. While it is not as easy for women to preserve their fertility as it is for men, but there are ways of doing it, such as freezing embryos, freezing eggs or freezing ovarian tissue. These techniques are done before the chemotherapy starts and involve having some eggs collected. Source: Cancer Research UK . 'I was in a situation where I had to continue with chemotherapy or the cancer would kill me - but at times it was a risk that the chemo could kill me. It was terrifying.' It was the support of her now husband that got her through the ordeal, she says. 'Chris was my rock throughout it all and he proposed to me when I finished treatment in 2010 but I wanted to wait until my hair grew back before we got married,' she said. After marrying the following year, the couple were overjoyed to be told Mrs Newton was in remission - and they turned their thoughts to starting a family. But the gruelling treatment Mrs Newton had undergone severely hindered their chance of conceiving. 'The treatment stopped us from trying IVF through using a donor egg straight away,' she said. 'And when it failed in October 2012 and I fought off two serious infections that could have cost me my leg, I felt as though I would never become a mum.' With Mrs Newton on strong medication until July 2013, they were unable to try for a baby. 'So when I fell pregnant naturally in August we both felt like it was a complete miracle,' she said. 'Being a mum to Seb is the best thing in the world, Chris and I finally have the perfect family we have always wanted.' She added: 'If someone could have told me five years ago that I would keep my leg, by cancer free and become a mum I would never have believed them.' She said: 'When I fell pregnant naturally, it was a dream come true. We had to keep pinching ourselves to check it was real' With Sebastian now a year old, she said: 'Being a mum to Seb is the best thing in the world, Chris and I finally have the perfect family we have always wanted' She has now shared her story will give other women hope. 'I hope my story shows other women who have battled cancer that despite going through the menopause after chemotherapy, that miracles do happen and that one day they could have a baby too.' Mrs Newton has also been supported throughout her illness by the Bone Cancer Research Trust. Julie Harrington, Bone Cancer Research Trust chief executive, said: 'Finding out you have primary bone cancer is devastating enough but to be told you may never have children as a result is a real shock. 'Cara has shown incredible bravery and strength throughout her journey and is now blessed to have a beautiful baby boy.' 'Every year in the UK and Ireland 600 families will be affected by this brutal disease which leaves long-lasting physical and emotional scars, even after treatment. 'Cara's story gives a ray of hope to others through their darkest times and we wish her and her husband all the very best for their new life as parents.'
target: Cara Newton, 32, was told she was infertile after undergoing chemotherapy .
  Was diagnosed with the rare bone cancer Ewing's sarcoma in 2009 .
  Some chemotherapy drugs permanently stop the ovaries producing eggs .
  After IVF failed, she was overjoyed to conceive baby Sebastian naturally .