A decade ago, Rockaway resident Devonne Harris did not imagine she could get pregnant, let alone become the mother of twin girls. But over the past 10 years, St. John’s Episcopal Hospital played a key role in changing her life.
In May 2010, at an appointment to get her IUD removed, doctors diagnosed Harris with cervical cancer, a disease that led her to have half her cervix removed. Doctors at St. John’s told her that it would be “nearly impossible” for her to conceive a child. Prior to her diagnosis, Harris said that she did not experience any symptoms consistent with cervical cancer. When she came to St. John’s, doctors found that she had stage two cervical cancer.
She recalled that during the time between diagnosis and treatment, Dr. Samina Raghid and the rest of the team at St. John’s helped her on her road to recovery. “They were urgent and there was no lag time,” Harris said. “The staff [at St. John’s] was caring, eased my fear and answered all my questions.” She added that she never felt like she was in the dark during her treatment because “they kept me abreast of everything going on.”
Doctors declared Harris cancer-free in early 2011. By the end of the year, she received miraculous news: she was pregnant.
“I thought I had the flu,” she recalled. “I couldn’t keep any [food] down.” When Harris came back to St. John’s she was informed that she was pregnant with twins. Harris, who was already a parent to her 18-year-old son, said she was “ecstatic” when she got the news since she did not think she could get pregnant again.
Harris gave birth to her twin daughters, Mariah and Madison in July 2012, at the same hospital that saved her life, St. John’s. The ten-year-old twins are pediatric patients at the EHS physician practices.
Due to the high quality of care she received at the hospital, Harris joined the St. John’s family and now works at the hospital. When asked why she joined the St. John’s team, Harris stated “I wanted to give back to the community. It’s rewarding being in the middle of it,” Harris said.
