South Jersey high-risk pregnancy doctor seeing rewards of work
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A South Jersey doctor who specialized in high-risk pregnancies in seeing the rewards of her work.
One of the babies she delivered is now learning from her.
The story began years ago when Dr. Elyse Cardonick, who was pursuing a career in high-risk obstetrics noticed a disturbing trend.
"I happened to meet people in this training, three women in a very short period of time who had different types of cancer and three were advised to terminate their pregnancies," Cardonick said.
Cardonick found an extensive study out of Mexico in the late 90s, which showed treating pregnant women for cancer did not negatively affect the children they were carrying. Soon thereafter, she started a national registry.
"It's just became a passion," she said. "I didn't stop doing it."
Years later, Cardonick met Jesus Reza's mother.
"What I remembered about her, she had four girls,"Cardonick said. "Now, she was pregnant with a little boy. Very desired pregnancy, obviously and at 18 weeks realized she had breast cancer."
Dr. Cardonick helped Rosa beat cancer and deliver her baby boy, Jesus.
Dr. Cardonick and Jesus' paths would eventually cross again, close to 20 years after he was born-in large part to Dr. Cardonick's work.
Jesus is pursuing a career in the medical field and he was put back in touch with Dr. Cardonick to shadow her at Cooper Hospital.
"Sometime earlier this year I got this email from this college student interested going into medicine," Dr. Cardonick said. "I just had chills up-and-down, I emailed back, I was like, 'You just made my day! This is the best news ever.'"
And the shy, soft-spoken, but headstrong Jesus, left us with these words of inspiration.
"If you're interested and passion about something, just follow it," he said.
