X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parenting & Play by Friso
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Ages & Stages
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-schooler
    • Kids
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • Money Parenting
    • Tips for Parents
    • Tips for Toddlers
    • Tips for Older Kids
    • The 5 Personas
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Heartbreaking: mum with breast cancer breastfeeds son for last time

3 min read
Heartbreaking: mum with breast cancer breastfeeds son for last timeHeartbreaking: mum with breast cancer breastfeeds son for last time

These photos of a mum with breast cancer, sharing her final moments of breastfeeding with her son, are too touching for words.

For mums, breastfeeding is a special, intimate experience that we share with our babies. This chapter of motherhood comes to a close far too swiftly, as our infants begin to wean. It’s even more painful when this cherished time is abruptly cut short by an illness such as cancer. 

While breastfeeding her baby boy, Ashley Kostiuk found a lump in her breast. The alarmed mum was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in June 2016, and told she needed to undergo chemotherapy. This was doubly devastating for the new mum — it meant she would have to give up nursing her 9-month-old son.

On the morning prior to starting chemotherapy, Ashley sat rocking her son close, breastfeeding him for the last time. Her close friend, photographer Jaclyn Briggs, was on hand to capture these precious moments of maternal connection soon to be lost forever. The resulting photos were poignant and unbearably tender.

Heartbreaking: mum with breast cancer breastfeeds son for last time

(Image Credit: Capture Your Moment Photography)

Heartbreaking: mum with breast cancer breastfeeds son for last time

(Image Credit: Capture Your Own Photography)

Reaching for his mum’s face and innocently peeking about, her little son was blissfully unaware of the morning’s tragic circumstances.

Heartbreaking: mum with breast cancer breastfeeds son for last time

(Image Credit: Capture Your Moment Photography)

Heartbreaking: mum with breast cancer breastfeeds son for last time

(Image Credit: Capture Your Moment Photography)

Her daughter Greta, too, was part of these solemn family moments, sweetly helping to comfort her mama. 

Heartbreaking: mum with breast cancer breastfeeds son for last time

(Image Credit: Capture Your Moment Photography)

Heartbreaking: mum with breast cancer breastfeeds son for last time

Ashley with her two beautiful children. (Image Credit: Capture Your Moment Photography)

Good news: currently, Ashley is cancer-free! According to the GoFundMe page set up by her aunt Patti Amstrup, Ashley has finished chemotherapy and had a double masectomy. This brave mama can look forward to many more years of caring for her children and watching them grow up. 

Heartbreaking: mum with breast cancer breastfeeds son for last time

(Image Credit: Ashley Amstrup Kostiuk)

She still has a long journey to walk, however. On her Team Ashley Facebook page, Ashley posted about her recent post-op meeting with her General Surgeon, revealing that she still needs to go for radiation to combat the last of the tumour.

She heartrendingly confessed,”I had a breakdown over my whole journey. I hated my port, I hated chemo, I hate…HATE not having my own boobs. Ok where was this all coming from? It was my selfish moment. I felt like a ship stuck in the gale warning on Lake Superior. The emotional waves not ceasing.”

But, she added, the joys of her life as a mum make things seem better. “Now that I’m home, baking banana bread and watching Sophia the First – I feel so good.” 

Partner Stories
Run a Company or Raise a Child? Why Singapore Makes It Very Possible to Do Both
Run a Company or Raise a Child? Why Singapore Makes It Very Possible to Do Both
An inspiring story of a rural Asian mum - Find out how you can help!
An inspiring story of a rural Asian mum - Find out how you can help!

Hugs and best wishes to the Kostiuk family! If you’d like to support this courageous mum in her fight against cancer, be sure to check our her GoFundMe campaign or her Team Ashley page.  

ALSO READ: LOOK: Amazing photos of breastfeeding mum practising yoga 

We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts and comments with us in the Comment box below. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Google+ to stay up-to-date on the latest from sg.theAsianparent.com!

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Jolene Hee

  • Home
  • /
  • Real Stories
  • /
  • Heartbreaking: mum with breast cancer breastfeeds son for last time
Share:
  • Singaporean Mum With Breast Cancer Shares Her Story

    Singaporean Mum With Breast Cancer Shares Her Story

  • Breastfeeding And Breast Cancer: What Do You Know About The Link Between The Two?

    Breastfeeding And Breast Cancer: What Do You Know About The Link Between The Two?

  • 5 Ways A Narcissistic Parent Can Negatively Affect A Child's Personality

    5 Ways A Narcissistic Parent Can Negatively Affect A Child's Personality

  • Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

    Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

app info
get app banner
  • Singaporean Mum With Breast Cancer Shares Her Story

    Singaporean Mum With Breast Cancer Shares Her Story

  • Breastfeeding And Breast Cancer: What Do You Know About The Link Between The Two?

    Breastfeeding And Breast Cancer: What Do You Know About The Link Between The Two?

  • 5 Ways A Narcissistic Parent Can Negatively Affect A Child's Personality

    5 Ways A Narcissistic Parent Can Negatively Affect A Child's Personality

  • Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

    Singaporean Sugar Baby Spills The Beans On What Life Is Like With A Sugar Daddy

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2022. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.