What began as a terrifying diagnosis has become a story of survival, faith, and fierce maternal strength. Ebony Ingram, an African American mother from North Carolina, was just 27 weeks pregnant with twins when she was diagnosed with leukemia in mid-January.
Thanks to swift action from her medical team and unwavering support from loved ones, both Ingram and her premature babies are now recovering together.
“It’s a blessing, it is amazing,” said Ingram, reflecting on the emotional journey that nearly claimed her life—and that of her unborn children.
Immediately after her diagnosis on January 14, Ingram was admitted to Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center. With her life and her babies’ lives hanging in the balance, doctors made the difficult decision to deliver her twins nearly 15 weeks early so she could begin aggressive cancer treatment.
“Not only are we treating the patient, but then we also have two other patients in this case,” said Dr. James Dugan, clinical lead for stem cell therapy at Novant Health. “I made a few phone calls to basically every doctor I know at Novant Health and said, ‘We’re going to need help.’”
The premature twins required immediate neonatal care, while Ingram began her own battle—chemotherapy and a prolonged hospital stay. She describes much of the experience as a blur, but her message is crystal clear:
“Some days, it gets the best of me, and I think, ‘Oh my God, I can’t make it,’ but then I have my support team that supports me a lot. And I just want to make it,” she said.
This Mother’s Day was particularly meaningful for Ingram, who credits her doctors, nurses, and family for helping her fight through one of the darkest periods of her life. Prayer and encouragement, she says, kept her anchored.
“They told me, ‘Don’t give up. It’s going to be alright. You’re going to make it. The babies are going to make it.’ And then I had all these different nurses praying for us, and I was just so happy,” Ingram recalled in her interview with WXII 12 News.
Now, with a few months left in her treatment, doctors expect Ingram to make a full recovery. Her twin babies, who spent time in the NICU, are home and doing well.
“Everything that I experienced through this whole journey of being hospitalized just feels like a blessing,” said Ingram. “I wasn’t expecting to make it, and I wasn’t expecting my twins to make it at all.”
