Some chemotherapy drugs can be used after the first trimester.
Other treatments must wait.
Radiation therapy is generally postponed until after delivery because of the potential risk to the fetus. Hormonal treatments are also not given during pregnancy. HER2-targeted therapies such as trastuzumab are likewise avoided during pregnancy because of fetal risks. (Cancer.gov)
This is why Kiersten's treatment timeline matters.
She was diagnosed at 29 weeks.
She received chemotherapy while pregnant.
She reached 36 weeks and one day before giving birth.
Then, after Travis was born, her doctors were able to move forward with additional treatments.
The sequence was not accidental.
It reflected the complicated medical balancing act involved in treating cancer during pregnancy.
The Day Travis Went Home
For 17 days, Travis remained in the NICU.
For his mother, those days must have carried a strange mixture of emotions.
She had finally met the son she had fought to protect.
But she could not simply return to normal life.
Her baby needed specialized care.
She needed cancer treatment.
And her family was adjusting to the arrival of another child.
Eventually, Travis was able to leave the hospital.
According to Kiersten's account, he went home healthy and continued to grow into what she described as a strong, thriving and happy baby. (GoFundMe)
That moment represented another milestone.
The pregnancy had ended.
The baby had arrived.
The NICU stay was over.
But Kiersten's cancer journey continued.
There would be more chemotherapy.
There would be surgery.
There would be immunotherapy.
And there would be the uncertainty that accompanies a diagnosis of advanced cancer.
The Surgery
Kiersten later underwent a double mastectomy.
For many breast cancer patients, surgery is one part of a much larger treatment plan. In pregnancy-associated breast cancer, the timing and type of surgery are determined according to the cancer and the stage of pregnancy.
The National Cancer Institute explains that surgery can be performed during pregnancy, with the exact approach depending on the circumstances. Radiation therapy, however, is generally delayed until after delivery because of potential fetal exposure. (Cancer.gov)
For Kiersten, surgery came after Travis's birth.
According to her account, the double mastectomy took place on July 11, following multiple rounds of postpartum chemotherapy. (GoFundMe)
It was another major physical milestone in a journey that had already included pregnancy, childbirth, chemotherapy and a NICU stay.
Yet treatment continued afterward.
Kiersten reported continuing immunotherapy infusions every three weeks.
The fight was not over simply because one procedure had been completed.
Then Came the News Her Family Had Been Waiting For
For more than a year, Kiersten's story had been defined by treatment.
Then, in July 2026, a different kind of update emerged.
A report from KSDK, carried by Yahoo News, said that Kiersten was cancer-free while she was celebrating the expansion of the SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital Cancer Center. (Yahoo)
That update marked a dramatic change from the fear surrounding her diagnosis.
At the beginning of the journey, Kiersten had been pregnant and newly diagnosed with Stage IV inflammatory breast cancer.
Now, she was able to celebrate a period without active cancer detected in the reporting.
It is important, however, to describe such an update carefully.
“Cancer-free” in a news report should not automatically be interpreted as a guarantee that cancer can never return, particularly in someone who has been diagnosed with advanced disease. Cancer surveillance and treatment decisions remain matters for the patient's medical team.
Still, the July 2026 report represented important news in Kiersten's journey.
After months of treatment, surgery and continued medical care, she had reached a point her family had desperately hoped to see.
She was able to look toward the future.
And that future included her children.
From Fear to Family Moments
There is something powerful about the contrast between the beginning and the latest chapter of Kiersten's story.
At the beginning, she was 29 weeks pregnant.
She was preparing for a baby.
Then she learned she had aggressive breast cancer.
Instead of simply waiting for the pregnancy to end, she entered a complex treatment plan designed around the realities of her pregnancy.
At 36 weeks and one day, Travis was born.
He spent 17 days in the NICU.
Kiersten continued treatment almost immediately.
She underwent additional chemotherapy.
She received HER2-directed treatment after delivery.
She underwent a double mastectomy.
She continued immunotherapy.
And then came the July 2026 report that she had no active disease/cancer-free status.
The sequence reads almost like several different lives compressed into a single period.
Pregnancy.
Diagnosis.
Chemotherapy.
Childbirth.
NICU.
Surgery.
More treatment.
And eventually, hope.
A Story About More Than Strength
It is tempting to describe stories like Kiersten's simply by using words such as “strong” or “brave.”
Those words certainly capture something about what she endured.
But there is another side to the story.
Kiersten did not defeat cancer through determination alone.
Her journey involved doctors, nurses, cancer specialists, obstetric care, neonatal specialists, surgery and systemic treatments. The medical decisions surrounding cancer in pregnancy are complex and highly individualized. Major cancer organizations emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary care when treating pregnant patients with cancer. (Cancer.gov)
Her story therefore should not be interpreted as a medical prescription for other pregnant women facing cancer.
What worked for Kiersten was based on her particular diagnosis, her pregnancy, her cancer subtype and the treatment decisions made by her healthcare team.
Instead, her experience shows something more personal.