Methodist surgeon speaks to the bravery, optimism of an Omaha mom who battled cancer while pregnant

Just weeks after finding out she was pregnant, an Omaha mom is in a fight to save the life of both her and her baby.

Amanda Gallo, 37, found out she was pregnant earlier this fall.

"We were very excited," she said. "But we didn't get to tell our family how we wanted to."

That's because, just days after finding out she was early in her first trimester, Gallo felt a lump while lying down.

She thought it was tied to the pregnancy or the son she welcomed only eight months prior.

Gallo got it checked right away, and the news came the following week.

"Based on her tumor profile, it probably grew quicker than most breast cancers. The hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy probably fueled it as well," said Dr. Paul Kolkman, a breast surgical oncologist with Methodist Physicians Clinic.

The tumor had reached about three centimeters before Gallo's partial mastectomy, which came only weeks after she first felt the lump.

"We had good margins around the cancer, and the goal is very much a cure," Dr. Kolkman said.

KETV: 'Helped save my life': Omaha mom faces cancer diagnosis while pregnant