BRAVE mum Janine Edgar today counted the blessings of her “miracle” son for helping to save her life - before he was even born.The 28-year-old was expecting her first child, Jonty, when doctors made a shock discovery during a routine 20-week pregnancy scan at Ipswich Hospital in 2006.

BRAVE mum Janine Edgar today counted the blessings of her “miracle” son for helping to save her life - before he was even born.

The 28-year-old was expecting her first child, Jonty, when doctors made a shock discovery during a routine 20-week pregnancy scan at Ipswich Hospital in 2006.

While checking the health of her son, consultants found a tumour in Mrs Edgar's bladder, which during the later stages of the pregnancy was bleeding from the weight of the foetus.

Mrs Edgar, of Bell Mews, Hadleigh, held the birth as long as possible and had her labour induced at 38 weeks.

She gave birth to a healthy 7lb 14oz boy before being taken away for urgent cancer treatment.

“Jonty is a miracle baby,” she said. “If I hadn't been expecting him, I wouldn't have known about the bladder cancer.

“The news hit me like a ton of bricks. I am far too young to have bladder cancer. But I just had to get through it because Jonty was my biggest priority.”

Mrs Edgar, who is originally from Zimbabwe but moved to England 10 years ago, underwent surgery to remove the tumour, followed by two chemotherapy 'washes' into the bladder. She has been given the all-clear and will have annual check-ups.

Amazingly, during her treatment Mrs Edgar took part in last year's Race for Life in aid of Cancer Research UK and raised £500.

But the family was dealt another devastating hand when shortly after Mrs Edgar was declared cancer-free, her mother, Juanita Pringle, was diagnosed with a terminal illness in January.

Mrs Pringle was told she had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia - just a month after she and her husband, Stuart, had re-located from Zimbabwe to Kesgrave to be closer to the family.

Mrs Pringle, who is being referred to the St Elizabeth Hospice in Ipswich next week, also suffers serious side effects of her chemotherapy because she has multiple sclerosis.

Mrs Edgar said: “I was completely devastated. My mum and I are exceptionally close. She has been the lifeblood of the family

“The family is just trying to come together and spend as much time as possible.”

The family's plight made Mrs Edgar, who lives with husband Chris, even more determined to help Cancer Research UK, an organisation she describes as “phenomenal”.

Earlier this month, she ran the 5km Race for Life in Chantry Park, Ipswich, in 28 minutes - despite being pregnant with her second child.

“My second child is another positive thing for my mum to look forward to,” she said. “This time around, I am going to do it the normal way.”

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AFTER defeating cancer herself and now coming to terms with her mother's terminal illness, Janine Edgar is today urging people to help smash a £300,000 fundraising target.

Mrs Edgar, 28, of Bell Mews, Hadleigh, took part in the Cancer Research UK Race for Life at Chantry Park on June 8 after being diagnosed with bladder cancer when five months pregnant.

Now she is calling on those who took part to raise as much money as they can and is also appealing for people to sign up to next month's event in Ipswich.

“I feared I wouldn't live to see my son grow up, but now I am full of hope that I have been cured,” said Mrs Edgar, who aims to raise £700.

“The work of Cancer Research UK is essential for improving treatments and cures - that's why it is so important that every single woman who walked, jogged and ran alongside me on Sunday makes a huge effort to send in her sponsorship money, no matter how small. If the women of the town join forces we can help reach the £310,000 target.”

There are still places for the Trinity Park event on Wednesday, July 9, at 7.30pm and in Bury St Edmunds on Sunday, June 22, at 2.30pm.

If you would like to sponsor Mrs Edgar, please visit www.raceforlife.org/janineedgar.

For information on how to return sponsorship money or to make a donation online, visit www.raceforlife.org.

To enter Race for Life, visit www.raceforlife.org/centraleast or call 0871 641 2271.