Breast cancer survivor with only 1 embryo from IVF becomes mom
Breast cancer survivor Sarrah Strimel Bentley did IVF before treatment, yielding only one embryo. She and her partner then received incredible news.
USA TODAY
After getting a breast cancer diagnosis, Sarrah Strimel Bentley thought the treatment that lay ahead of her would be the toughest part of the journey. She wasn’t expecting that her chance of becoming a mother would also be at risk.
“IVF is not an easy experience, on top of having cancer while doing it,” said Strimel Bentley, 42.
The former Broadway actor, who has performed in a number of successful shows during her career, including the Tony Award-winning “The Producers,” went through a double mastectomy, chemotherapy, and 28 rounds of radiation after finding a cancerous lump under her arm in 2020.
“It came out of nowhere,” she said. “It was the last thing I had expected at that point in my life.”
The New Yorker had just started a new relationship with her partner and was looking forward to moving in together and maybe one day starting a family. What she didn’t know was the treatment that was saving her life could also prevent her from having a baby later on.
“All breast cancer treatments can impact a woman’s fertility,” said Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky, head of breast medical oncology at the New Jersey Valley Health System. “Chemotherapy can put women into early menopause, and sometimes they are able to recover from that but not always.”
As a result, doctors often suggest that women consider ways to pre-empt possible infertility before cancer treatment begins.
Strimel Bentley, who was 38 at the time, was encouraged to freeze either her eggs or embryos as a precaution. She did two rounds of IVF with her partner, James Bentley.
“You’re faced with some really shocking numbers on how hard it is to make a baby,” said James, 42. “When you do it through IVF, that’s very much in your face.”
The procedure yielded only one embryo that tested genetically normal.
“When the fear would creep in, which it did a lot. When I had to mourn the loss of my breasts, my ovaries, my fertility, my hair — I mean you name it, I lost it — I just kept coming back to the practice of presence and of belief,” said Strimel Bentley, who now runs a wellness brand called Damn Good & Co. “I knew we had this one chance, this one shot.”
Watch the moment this breast cancer survivor finds out she’s going to be a mother in the video above.
The couple’s lone embryo was carried to term by a surrogate. Chance was born Dec. 10, 2023, and named for the gamble his parents took and the priceless payoff that came with it.
“There’s nothing like that first scream, feeling that your priorities are changing and your life is changing,” said James. “You have a little person suddenly looking up at you … It was not really the end of the journey, but the start of a journey.”
Watch the full story below.
Breast cancer survivor with only 1 embryo from IVF becomes mom
Breast cancer survivor Sarrah Strimel Bentley did IVF before treatment, yielding only one embryo. She and her partner then received incredible news.
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Dr. Debi Johnson is a medical expert and health journalist dedicated to promoting well-being. With a background in medicine, she offers evidence-based insights into health trends and wellness practices. Beyond her reporting, Dr. Debi enjoys hiking, yoga, and empowering others to lead healthier lives.
