A routine growth scan took a heartbreaking turn when TiLiyah Dawson, preparing for motherhood, received a diagnosis that changed everything. The 22-year-old from Georgia had only just graduated from Swainsboro High School in 2023 when she learned she was pregnant. "My life after school has literally been parenting," Dawson told Newsweek.
Dawson grew up in a large family with five siblings, meaning she had a strong support network behind her. That support made all the difference after an ultrasound technician spotted an abnormality during what was supposed to be a routine growth scan. At a follow-up appointment, Dawson received devastating news.
"They informed me that my daughter was developing what's called a teratoma tumor," she said. Teratomas are rare tumors that arise from germ cells and can contain a variety of tissues, including bone, muscle, and hair. While many are benign, large tumors diagnosed before birth can pose serious risks to the mother and baby.
The condition is rare, affecting roughly one in every 35,000 to 40,000 babies born, though it is the most common tumor diagnosed in newborns. Hearing the diagnosis left Dawson in shock. "When I first found out about it, I immediately became worried," she said.
"I was shaky, I was hurt, and I was scared, but my mom always reassured me that everything was going to be okay." The day Dawson welcomed her daughter, Tyra, into the world was a difficult one. "I had gone in for an ultrasound with my mom and my little sister," Dawson said. "When I sat up after the ultrasound, I felt severe back pain so intense that I felt like I couldn't walk." Dawson was sent to a hospital in Statesboro.
"I was extremely high-risk, and the doctors there confirmed that my daughter was trying to come, but I could not push," she said. By that point, Tyra's tumor had grown significantly. Attempting a vaginal delivery could have caused severe internal damage.
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