Sometimes, the best presents come right after Christmas, as overjoyed parents Caroline and Robert St. John from Georgia found out on New Year’s Day 2018, when their son August McLemore “Mac” St. John came into the world. It’s not that he was born at 7:42 am, the first baby to be delivered in 2018 at the St. Mary’s Family Birth Center, it’s that nobody, not even the parents, really expected him to come into their lives.
You see, Mac’s mother had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2010. This very aggressive form of blood cancer was very unlikely for a woman of Caroline’s age, and she was very lucky to have it discovered and treated early in its onset. However, doctors warned that the chemotherapy would have a very high probability of leaving her infertile. Caroline and Robert went through with the treatment, and all the hardships and heartache that come with it, and one year later she was healthy once more. A wedding soon followed, and yearly check-ups showed no sign of return for the terrible illness.
The couple adjusted to the idea of not being able to have kids. As teachers, both of them felt they could be a different, vicarious sort of parent. Then, in early 2017, when nausea overcame Caroline, she thought the leukemia had returned. Fortunately, after the medical check-up, the news was far more joyous, and far more unexpected – the was pregnant!
The family is obviously over the moon with joy. Little Mac is already showing signs of being a supporter of the family’s favorite college football team. Caroline expressed her enthusiasm at introducing the miraculous baby to the person who inspired his middle name – her oncologist, Doctor McLemore. This couple and their infant’s story show that there’s sometimes hope even in the face of the most dire predictions.
