Meet my miracle triplets

Jaide Ward from Ashton-in-Makerfield, with her 15-month-old triplet baby girls, from left, Scarlett, Caitlin and Francesca

So when she discovered she was pregnant at the age of 21, she could not believe her luck.

And she was even more amazed to find out she was having triplets.

Scarlett, Caitlin and Francesca are now 15 months old and Jaide is treasuring every moment.

The 23-year-old, who grew up in Haydock and now lives in Ashton, said: “I was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in the pelvis and spine in 1997 when I was just four.

“I had chemotherapy for nine months and treatment stopped when I was five. I still have a tumour on my spine but it is not doing anything.”

Jaide had known from an early age that she would not be able to conceive and had told her partner Scott.

They planned to get married in Santorini in 2015, but brought the wedding forward to August 2014 when they found out the amazing news that she was expecting.

She said: “I never had regular periods and I had tests when I was 20 and I was not ovulating.

“When the tests came back saying I would not be able to have children, we didn’t see the point in using contraception.

“But then in June 2014, I felt really nauseous and tired. We ruled out everything else and I did a pregnancy test, not thinking anything of it.

“When it came back positive we were really shocked, yet really pleased. We thought this would never happen.

“I had a big bleed when I was five weeks and I thought that was the end of it. I had an early scan and found out we were having twins.

“A later scan at 12 weeks revealed we were actually having triplets and we were over the moon. We could not believe it, especially as neither twins nor triplets run in the family.”

Jaide, who used to work as an administration assistant at PHS Group in Golborne, could not imagine life without her girls.

She added: “It is hard work, but very rewarding and worth it. It is amazing that I get to see all the milestones three times.

“I don’t think it has really sunk in that I have been this lucky to have three beautiful children despite being told I would be infertile.

“I hope this story brings hope to other women who have been through cancer. Never give up hope.”