A woman who had ovarian tissue frozen at 18 after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer has become a mother at 44 following pioneering fertility treatment.

Kassandra Bacon was only days from her 19th birthday in 2001 when doctors diagnosed her with Hodgkin lymphoma, a rare type of blood cancer.

Although she pleaded with doctors to protect her chances of having children, she was told that urgent, high-dose chemotherapy was essential to save her life.

Still, Ms Bacon refused to abandon the possibility of becoming a mother. She successfully pushed for an experimental procedure at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge before her treatment began.

Doctors removed and froze a thin section of her ovarian tissue, preserving it in the hope that it could eventually be transplanted back into her body.

Twenty-five years later, that hope became reality when Ms Bacon gave birth to her son, David, on September 9 using the ovarian tissue preserved when she was a teenager.

The case has been described as a “global scientific milestone” because it marks the longest recorded period ovarian tissue has been stored before being transplanted and ultimately leading to a pregnancy.

The breakthrough could offer fresh hope to thousands of women whose fertility is threatened by cancer treatment.

Ms Bacon’s ovarian tissue was frozen in May 2001 by an NHS team led by embryologist Martyn Blayney, at a time when the treatment was still considered experimental and its success was far from certain.

The procedure involved preserving tiny pieces of ovarian tissue containing thousands of immature eggs.

Years later, the tissue can be grafted back onto the ovaries. The aim is for it to respond to hormones, restore the menstrual cycle and release eggs.

Reflecting on the arrival of her son, David, Ms Bacon told The Times: “I look down at him and it is a bit surreal. He is healthy, he’s thriving, he’s such a cool, calm, little man.”

“I just thank my younger self for being so determined. I was very maternal, I just wanted to be a mother.”

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Ms Bacon survived the cancer, but chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant caused permanent damage to her ovaries. When she was 32 and ready to start a family with her partner, she was told the devastating news that she was “menopausal with no viable follicles”.

Undeterred, she began a decade-long search for a doctor willing to carry out the transplant.

The aspiring mother consulted eight fertility specialists in the UK and Brussels, but each one declined to treat her.

One major obstacle was a lack of the required paperwork. Her ovarian samples had been frozen before the UK introduced formal tissue-storage regulations in 2007.

Eventually, Ms Bacon found Professor Dror Meirow at Sheba Medical Centre in Israel, who agreed to perform the transplant. Her tissue was then transported to Israel after spending two decades in storage at Bourn Hall Fertility Clinic in Cambridge.

But, in another twist in her long journey to motherhood, Ms Bacon’s journey to Israel was delayed following the October 7 attacks and the beginning of the war in Gaza.

In May 2024, it was safe enough to travel to Israel and she had an operation to transplant her younger self’s ovarian tissue back to her ovaries. 

Months later, she got her period for the first time in years which showed the procedure had worked and on Christmas Day she found out she was pregnant.

The decade-long treatment path was entirely self-funded and cost Ms Bacon £50,000.

She has started a Go Fund Me to cover the costs of the treatment.

Ms Bacon stressed that fertility restoration shouldn’t ‘depend on whether somebody can find the money’.

Dr Sara Matthews, a consultant gynaecologist in London who helped Ms Bacon, said the procedure was a ‘scientific milestone’ and she urged the NHS to provide funding to carry out ovarian tissue transplants for other women.

‘The NHS committed to doing the [ovarian tissue storage] in the first place, they should at least commit to putting it back in for them,’ she said. 

The first live birth from an ovarian transplantation was in 2004, and since then about 350 babies have been born worldwide from women who have undergone the treatment. 

Ever dreamed of becoming mayor of your own Wild West town? There is just one condition: you would have to buy the place first.

Belden, a Gold Rush-era settlement tucked into California’s spectacular Sierra Nevada, has been listed for $4.75 million.

The sale includes a riverside lodge, restaurant and bar, brightly colored cabins set among the trees, a swimming hole, a former schoolhouse and even a private stretch of the Feather River.

The buyer would also take on a town of just 15 residents, along with its rich history and the tantalizing possibility that more gold could still be hidden beneath the ground.

After 56 years, Belden’s longtime owner, 87-year-old Ivan Coffman, is ready to hand over the keys to the mountain settlement he made his home, business and personal kingdom.

“I love the town, I love the area, it has so much to offer. I’ve been living and mining here for many, many years,” Coffman told the Daily Mail.

He also highlighted one of the town’s best-kept features: “We have a lodge that has decking on the back of the river and the fresh canyon air. I love to sit out there and watch the river go by.”

“Who wants to be the next mayor of Belden Town?” joked Josie Litchfield, a friend helping Coffman market the property.

Coffman’s remarkable ownership story began with an extraordinary stroke of luck.

“I was a young masonry worker from Fresno, dredging for gold. In 1970, I had a week away from work and decided to drive up the Feather River,” he said.

Near Belden, he stopped at the point where Yellow Creek joins the Feather River and set off to explore upstream.

What he found in the creek bed convinced him that he had stumbled upon somewhere worth staying.

Gold nuggets were scattered among the gravel.

Coffman returned to his truck, grabbed a five-gallon bucket and began filling it with pebble-sized pieces of the precious metal. “It’d been hidden for all them years,” he recalled.

By his estimate, he found about 50 ounces that week. Gold was selling for approximately $35 an ounce at the time; at today’s price of around $4,400 an ounce, the same haul would be worth roughly $220,000.

He called his business partner in Fresno to explain that he would be staying in Belden longer than planned.

As it turned out, he never went back. Over the following decades, Coffman made a life around the gold he found in the Feather River, becoming a jeweler and lender crafting ‘all kinds of necklaces and rings’ while continuing to prospect in the surrounding country.’

Then, in 1989, he took the biggest gamble of all and bought Belden itself.

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However, by that point, the former Gold Rush settlement was a shadow of its former self. During its heyday, around 1,000 people lived in the canyon as prospectors arrived in search of fortunes buried in the river, but by 1989 the once-bustling mining camp was in serious decline.

Later, the railroad brought a new wave of activity, followed by tourists drawn to the Feather River for fishing and the mountain scenery.

But the boom eventually faded. A series of dams transformed the river into a chain of hydroelectric reservoirs, while declining fish populations and a struggling local economy left Belden facing an uncertain future.

A fire in the 1970s had already destroyed much of the old settlement when Coffman arrived on the scene and left the settlement derelict. 

Yet, rather than let it disappear, he rebuilt it and the result is the wonderfully eclectic collection of buildings that exists today.

At the center is the two-story Belden Town Resort and Lodge, overlooking the river. Inside are a restaurant, bar, general store and hotel rooms, surrounded by an extraordinary collection of curiosities, including taxidermy, antique bottles, artwork, a vintage slot machine, a leather saddle and most unique of all – a human-sized rooster.

Outside, colorful cabins are scattered beneath the forest canopy, while murals and hand-painted signs give the place the atmosphere of a Wild West movie set.

There is an old mechanic’s garage, a long-shuttered schoolhouse slowly being reclaimed by vegetation, trailers and RVs, and a phone booth that has become almost entirely colonized by stickers.

Belden has also developed a devoted following among travelers.

Pacific Crest Trail hikers pass through the settlement, motorcyclists stop during rides through the Lost Sierra and, in summer, music festivals can transform the normally sleepy outpost into a destination for thousands of revelers.

Author Cheryl Strayed even wrote about arriving in Belden during her Pacific Crest Trail journey in her bestselling memoir Wild, describing it as less a conventional town than a rambling building beside the railroad.

Yet the community has faced much darker moments, in recent years.

In 2021, the devastating Dixie Fire swept through the surrounding region and destroyed the nearby town of Greenville. Belden was threatened by the flames, but Coffman’s son and several employees courageously remained behind to help protect the property.

Coffman’s son died earlier this year following health complications, and after planning to leave Belden to his son, his death was one of the reasons he decided it was finally time to move on.

A garden beside a gazebo now serves as a memorial to him. Coffman said the place holds ‘a lot of memories we were able to share through the years’. 

It was in Belden that the two would hike the hills together, Coffman revealed the pair bonded over their joint hobby of gold-seeking, adding: ‘We would set off dredging even when my son was very young.’

After scattering his son’s ashes in the stream they cherished so dearly, Coffman is now preparing to leave the place. Yet Coffman is so attached to the town, he refuses to stray far, his relocation spot in Quincey is just 30 minutes away. 

Yet when asked what he will miss most, it isn’t the nuggets, the lodge or the extraordinary property that comes to mind –

‘Oh, all the people you meet over the years,’ he said, ‘everyone knows everyone for sure.’

According to Coffman, there may even be a little gold left in it.

An 18-year-old man has been charged after allegedly driving his gold BMW into Newcastle Knights supporters, leaving 10 footy fans injured.

NSW Police said late on Saturday that the red P-plater had been discharged from hospital and taken to a police station, where he was charged with nine offences.

The charges include three counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, three counts of negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and three counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct in charge of a motor vehicle.

The teenager will remain in custody overnight before appearing in court on Sunday. His driver’s licence has also been suspended.

Knights supporters had gathered to wave goodbye to the team as its bus headed towards the NRL Grand Final in Newcastle, north of Sydney, when the vehicle allegedly struck people on Saturday morning.

Emergency crews were called to the Newcastle Link Road roundabout on Transfield Avenue at about 9.30am after reports that a car had hit people on the pavement following allegations it had been driven ‘erratically’.

The driver was arrested at the scene before being taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

A five-year-old girl is among the 10 injured people and remains in a critical but stable condition in an induced coma.

Ashleigh Gibbs, understood to be a relative of the young girl, has started a GoFundMe campaign to support the child and her mother, who was also hurt in the crash.

‘A beautiful five-year-old child is currently in an induced coma after suffering serious injuries and has already required multiple operations,’ she wrote.

‘Their mum was also seriously injured and will require multiple operations and a long period of recovery.

‘Both mum and child now face a long road ahead, including further surgeries, hospital stays, rehabilitation and recovery.

‘Sadly, the severity of their injuries means mum will be unable to work for some time, creating enormous financial pressure as the family concentrates on healing and supporting one another.’

Ms Gibbs said the money raised would help cover medical expenses, household costs, travel and other unforeseen bills.

‘Our biggest hope is that this family can focus on what matters most – getting through each day, supporting their little one and recovering together – without the added worry of managing financially,’ she wrote.

A 67-year-old man was also initially in a critical condition, but police later confirmed that his injuries had been downgraded to serious but stable.

Four others, a girl, two, another girl, five, a woman, 31, and a man, 48, remain in hospital in stable conditions.

Three men aged between 24 and 27, along with a 63-year-old woman have been discharged from hospital.

Two teenage passengers in the driver’s car were not injured. 

One of the injured, Knights fan Chris Clancy, shared a photo of himself in hospital to Instagram on Saturday night, revealing he’d suffered a broken collarbone. 

‘Just letting you know myself, Tom and Matt were injured in the accident with the Newcastle supporters this morning,’ he wrote.

‘Tom has a graze on his left elbow but has been discharged all ready to go to the grand final tomorrow. Matt is still under observation but will more than likely be discharged soon with a graze and bit of bruising on his back.

‘I have a broken left collarbone which requires surgery and may have a possible sprained or broken right foot. UP THE KNIGHTS.’

Various Newcastle stars such as captain Kalyn Ponga wished him well in the comments. 

Newcastle Lord Mayor Gavin Morris confirmed the P-plater was a Knights supporter who had attended the celebration along with tens of thousands of people. 

‘He was excited. He was a supporter,’ he told ABC News.

‘He was there for the joy of the moment as well. And somehow, yes, he has (allegedly) lost control of the car.’

The incident impacted the planned route of the Newcastle Knights Grand Final procession, which was diverted via an alternate route.

A video circulating on social media captured the moment the driver was arrested, with onlookers heard shouting insults at the teenager. 

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner David Waddell said two passengers in the gold BMW had to be removed from the scene due to the brewing anger from the crowd.

‘There were two other persons in the car. We had [to get] them out of there because the crowd did turn on them,’ he said. 

‘We have taken that male [driver] for mandatory drug and alcohol testing.’ 

Assistant Commissioner Waddell said there was a ‘fair bit of angst’ from bystanders but added some Good Samaritans helped provide first aid and even CPR to those who were injured.

When asked whether witnesses reached the driver before police, Assistant Commissioner Waddell said the crowd ‘came forward’ and detectives would investigate ‘any other offences that may have been committed’.

The Newcastle Knights addressed the incident in a statement on social media, saying: ‘We apologise to anybody who was waiting and missed the bus, but public safety is our priority.’

A representative for the club then addressed reporters early on Saturday afternoon.

‘The thoughts of everyone at our club are with those that are impacted by this event, [with] their families, and also those [who] are on scene,’ he said.

‘Respectfully, now, this is a matter for NSW Police so, at this stage, the club can make no further comment.’

Knights star Kalyn Ponga shared a heartfelt post on social media addressed to the Newcastle community.

‘We’re thinking of you, your families and everyone in our Newcastle community. Sending our love and support,’ he said.

The sentiment was echoed by his teammate, Dane Gagai, who said: ‘Our hearts go out to the families impacted by this situation. Thoughts and prayers are with you.’

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley had a tough message about public safety on the roads after the crash, which she called a ‘preventable tragedy’ after a ‘split second decision’.

‘We knew that people would be out celebrating the wonderful achievements of the Newcastle Knights and we set out warnings about driver behaviour and how important driver behaviour is,’ she said.

‘It is an absolute tragedy, a tragedy that needn’t have happened, a tragedy that was preventable.’

Following the news, messages of support were shared from politicians in both NSW and federal government.

Premier Chris Minns urged fans travelling to Sydney for the game to take care on the roads. 

‘It’s heartbreaking to see fans who were sending off their grand final team involved in such a terrible incident,’ he said.

‘My thoughts are with the families and friends of loved ones who have been involved or injured in the crash. I also want to thank emergency services, including police and ambulance, who are responding to this tragedy.

‘We’ve seen how this grand final has brought Newcastle together, and I hope the whole community remains united as we continue to respond.’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has spoken out, saying he had discussed the incident with Minns and expressed his concern for ‘everyone injured or involved in the horrible incident’.

‘Rugby league brings people together, and this should have been a weekend of excitement and pride for Newcastle fans,’ he added.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor also addressed the ‘devastating’ news.

‘On what should have been a happy community occasion for Newcastle, our thoughts are with the injured, and those assisting at the scene,’ he said.

Police said investigations are continuing.