Liam Bradley donated sperm for IVF just an hour before beginning chemotherapy, a decision that led to the birth of his “miracle” daughter. The 38-year-old was diagnosed with bile duct cancer after developing flu-like symptoms in March 2025 and was warned that treatment could leave him infertile.
Before chemotherapy began, Liam and his partner, 30-year-old Lois Rose, made arrangements to preserve his fertility. Their daughter, Birdie, was born on July 15 this year.
Liam said becoming a father has helped him reclaim a sense of control while living with cancer. “If I didn’t have Lois and Birdie, I think cancer would control my life,” he said. “It would dictate what I do hour by hour, minute by minute. But I have so many happy distractions that I can take control back.”
The former supermarket area manager had considered himself fitter than ever when he first became unwell during a round of golf with friends. Within three days, he noticed a faint yellow colour in his eyes and skin and went to the accident and emergency department at Lincoln County Hospital.
A CT scan found a narrowing in Liam’s bile duct. Doctors initially thought the obstruction was unlikely to be cancerous, so they inserted a stent while he waited for surgery to remove the blockage.
That understanding changed after an MRI scan showed Liam had stage four cholangiocarcinoma, the medical term for bile duct cancer. The scan revealed 12 inoperable tumours that had spread to his liver.
“When they showed us the scan, it looked like a stone with very small speckles on it,” Liam recalled. “The staff were incredibly kind, but I felt frustrated because I had believed I was going to have surgery.”
A six-week wait for chemotherapy proved “frustrating”, but it gave Liam enough time to pursue a last-minute sperm donation. He received confirmation from the fertility clinic while he and Lois were on holiday in Rhodes.
“The call came from Nurture Fertility in Nottingham,” Liam said. “They told us we could proceed with IVF if I could provide a sample before chemotherapy started. The team were brilliant and agreed to open at 8am on Monday.”
Their return flight from Rhodes arrived without delay, allowing Liam to reach the clinic in time. “I gave the sample and then rushed to Lincoln [Hospital], where I started chemotherapy an hour later,” he said.
Lois described Birdie’s arrival as “amazing” and said their daughter had given both parents a powerful reason to keep going. “Birdie makes us live and fight at the same time,” she said. “She really is the perfect baby. She sleeps for six to seven hours at night, breastfed perfectly from the beginning and is incredibly content.”
Although Liam initially responded well to cancer treatment, immunotherapy brought serious side effects. In May, he was admitted to intensive care after developing an infection in his gallbladder.
He has since begun another course of chemotherapy after the cancer spread further to his lung. Liam said coping with a terminal diagnosis is “pretty rough”, but he remains confident that he can get through the next six months.
The family has received what Liam called “amazing” support from the charity AMMF. He is now sharing his experience for the organisation’s Voices of Cholangiocarcinoma film, which was due to be shown to MPs and NHS leaders on Wednesday. He will also take part in the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge on October 27 to raise money for AMMF.
Liam hopes his story will encourage others living with bile duct cancer. “I want to give people with the same cancer some hope,” he said. “Being here for Birdie’s birth and seeing her reach three months old is a win. There is still so much I want to live for.”
