A MUM who suffered from a rare cancer which imitated the signs of pregnancy has said her new baby girl is a "miracle".

Claire Burton, from Barrow, gave birth to Connie Jo Blythe on May 26 after a nerve-wracking pregnancy.

She believed she was having her second child in 2013 but was actually diagnosed with a molar pregnancy following her scan.

The rare choriocarcinoma growth occurs in only one in 590 pregnancies and once it starts to grow, behaves in a similar way to a foetus in the womb.

Miss Burton said: "It's just a miracle she was born. I think people use the term too easily but she is definitely a miracle baby.

"We had been trying as it was always my plan to have two children. I think when something affects your plan it just makes you want it more.

"The doctors said that I had a four per cent chance of having another molar pregnancy but I just took that as a 96 per cent chance of a normal one - if someone gave me those odds for the lottery I would definitely put it on."

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Miss Burton, of Jarrow Street, has been keen to share her happiness over her new bundle of joy with the women who supported her through her surprise diagnosis, making Connie Jo the youngest member of Recover and Rediscover- a support group for those affected by cancer.

Run by Joanne Jagger of Dalton, the group gave Miss Burton an outlet to talk about her illness with people other than friends and family.

Miss Burton now hopes that she can raise awareness of such rare conditions affecting women and make sure that others know help is on hand, if needed.

She added: "Last time I was in the paper I got so many messages and lots of people commented that they had had their own experiences of molar pregnancies.

"I think it's one of those things that you don't know can happen until it happens to you."

Recover and Rediscover are a support group for anyone affected by all types of cancer- for details of their next meeting and for more information email randrcove@yahoo.com or find them on Facebook at R&R Cancer Support Group.

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