Chicago-area woman celebrates daughter's first birthday after beating cancer

CHICAGO - A Chicago-area woman is celebrating a milestone she once feared she might never reach—her daughter’s first birthday.

Ioanna Lo Destro, along with her husband Grant and their baby Penelope, is marking the occasion with deep gratitude. Ioanna was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018, just one day before she was set to begin in vitro fertilization (IVF) after struggling with infertility.

At 31, facing cancer treatment that could further complicate conception, Ioanna was unsure if she would ever have the chance to become a mother. But thanks to fertility specialists at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, she found hope.

Dr. Lia Bernardi explained how they work to preserve fertility for patients undergoing cancer treatment.

"The amazing thing about what we do is we are able to hopefully preserve fertility," said Dr. Bernardi. "Patients can undergo their cancer treatment, take the time they need to… be in full remission, and then come back and use the eggs or embryos that they froze pretreatment."

For Ioanna, however, there was no time for egg retrieval before chemotherapy. Instead, she underwent IVF cycles during her treatment—a decision that eventually led to the birth of her daughter, Penelope, who will celebrate her first birthday on Oct. 24.

Reflecting on her journey, Ioanna said, "Just to be able to sit here today and say that I’m cancer-free, I have a baby—those are things you just, you'd always hoped they come true. And the fact that you’re living for the day that you used to pray about, and I’m healthy, I mean that’s all that matters."

Now in remission, Northwestern hopes Ioanna's story inspires other women who are facing similar struggles with infertility.