Donna Zakhar of Shelby Township holds her 7-month-old daughter Alexa Mary. She always wanted her three children, but she feared it wouldn’t happen until she met Dr. Wahab, a gynecological oncologist at Corewell Health. I was worried. Dr. devised a plan to improve her health and allow her to have her third baby.Gina Joseph – Macomb Daily
This year’s Mother’s Day will be really special not only for Donna Zakar, but also for her husband Sinan and their children Zachary (13) and Valencia (10). They are all in love with their new family member.
Little Alexa Mary was born on October 19, 2023.
“She brought us so much joy,” Zakhar said.
Even Sinan, who was happy with boys and girls, is surprised by the impact this cute girl with big brown eyes and curly hair has had on their lives. She has an older brother in Zachary and a younger sister in Valencia that she has always wanted.
“They hold her. They feed her. They just love her,” Zakhar added. Zakhar had always wanted three children, but he was worried that it would never happen.
She and Sinan lived in Sterling Heights, but as their children grew up and they found the ranch outgrowing them, they moved to a new home twice the size of Shelby Township. It was also at this point that they decided to have baby number three.
Zakhar previously had no problems getting pregnant. But this time it was different.
She was suffering from severe cramps before her menstrual cycle started. Some were so bad that she had to make excuses to sit at recess outside the school where she worked as a school lunch mom.
“We knew there was a problem,” Zakhar said. “I’ve never had anything like that before.”
Her gynecologist recommended a surgical procedure (D&C) to remove tissue from the uterus, and during the surgery, a precancerous polyp was identified and removed. She then followed up with her oncologist-gynecologist in hopes of moving forward with her plans, but she was instead told to abort her attempt.
“When I went to see a specialist, I said I was trying to have another child, but the specialist said it was too dangerous,” Zakhar said, recalling her disappointment. “It’s not good for you. You shouldn’t miss the chance.”
But that was always her intention.
“In my head I wanted to do it and I believed it would happen,” she said.
So she and Sinan sought a second opinion, eventually meeting with Dr. Zaid Al-Wahab, a gynecologic oncologist at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital in Royal Oak. Al Wahab came up with a plan that would not only improve her health but also improve her chances of having a baby.
“He didn’t think it was scary or dangerous. He was very confident and gave me a sense of security,” said the doctor, who underwent a second surgery and hormone medication to readjust his cycle. Zakhar said the specialist followed a plan that included:
That was in April 2022.
In January of the following year, doctors confidently told her that she was doing well.
“There’s a lot of hope,” he said. “It takes four months to get pregnant. But if you do, you’ll need to have your uterus removed to prevent cancer.”
To most people, it would seem like impossible odds, but Zakhar never gave up hope. Her daughter also prayed for her sister and a month later the prayers were answered.
she was pregnant.
“I kept it a secret at first,” said Zakhar, who decided to tell her children and the rest of her family after planning a trip to Mexico.
However, her son knew something was up as his father continued to insist on holding his bags and suitcases. When he returned home, Zakhar shared the news with his children by presenting them with T-shirts announcing their new roles: Big Brother and Big Sister.
“I knew it,” Zachati told her mother when she heard the news. “You didn’t have any luggage on our vacation. That’s always been our job. We always do it together.”
Now, Zachary and his entire family are working together to care for Alexa.
“I feel good. I feel like my life is complete and my daughter has the little sister she always wanted,” Zakhar said, adding that her story can help other women facing similar challenges. I hope that it will give you hope. “Other documents really scared us. But Dr. Al Wahab gave us hope. He is our angel.”
“As surgeons, we can’t always help our patients realize their dreams,” Al-Wahhab said. “But Donna and Sinan were so committed to their goal of having a third child, followed instructions diligently, and were really fun to work with.” I am happy that I was able to prevent cancer conditions and cancer.”
“Donna truly feels a calling to help other women facing similar challenges,” Al-Wahhab added. “She wants to give her hope.”
