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Nearly three years on from her diagnosis, Elle Halliwell's cancer is now "undetectable".

 

In 2016, Elle Halliwell was faced with two life-changing moments in the space of 48 hours.

Just two days after the fashion and entertainment journalist was diagnosed with leukaemia, she found out that she was pregnant with her first child.

Elle had a difficult choice to make – keep her unborn baby or terminate the pregnancy to immediately begin life-saving treatment.

In the end, even though her decision meant she might not survive, Elle chose her son’s life

She decided to delay life-saving cancer treatment in order to carry her son, and in December 2016, she gave birth to Tor Felix Biasotto.

Elle Halliwell speaks to Mia Freedman about facing life and death on the same weekend. Post continues below…

Now, just over two years on from her son’s birth, Elle has shared some incredibly exciting news.

“For the first time since I was diagnosed, my blood cancer is undetectable,” she announced on her Instagram Stories yesterday afternoon.

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“I can’t believe it. I never thought this day would come,” she added.

Elle explained that although the cancer is undetectable, she will still have to remain on medication for some time.

“This is the first major milestone to show that the medication has done its job and is working,” she explained.

“I’m just elated – I’m so happy to have got to this point.”

 

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Birthday breakfast for the little guy, who turns 2 today! What joy you have brought to our lives, we are so blessed ❤️❤️❤️

A post shared by Elle Halliwell (@ellehalliwell) on

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Elle started treatment for her Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) as soon as Tor was born, three weeks premature, in December 2016.

She hadn’t known she was sick until she received the results of a routine blood test while trying to fall pregnant.

The rare cancer affects around 300 Australians every year and most patients diagnosed with CML need to take medication that can’t be taken during pregnancy.

Throughout her treatment, Elle took tablets – a type of oral chemotherapy – twice a day to keep the cancer at low levels through her bloodstream.

Speaking to Mia Freedman about the moment she received her diagnosis on No Filter, Elle said: “I couldn’t even comprehend it. I just felt like I was falling in this dark tunnel.”

“We just sat that, for I don’t even know how long, just crying,” she added.

Listen to Mia Freedman’s full episode with Elle Halliwell on No Filter here.

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