A mother told she was infertile and had months to live after being diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer has given birth to a miracle baby boy.

Helen Dixon, 35, a cleaner from Leeds, Yorkshire, was diagnosed with the disease in 2015 – seven months after doctors mistook her symptoms as a miscarriage.

The mother-of-three already had two older daughters but was desperate to have a son with husband Paul.

But in February 2015 she was given the devastating news that chemotherapy had made her infertile.

Despite doctors telling her she would miscarry if she attempted to get pregnant, Helen decided to ‘stick two fingers up to that’ and try for a baby.

Helen Dixon, 35, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2015 and told she only had months to live. Four years later she welcomed a healthy baby boy called Harvey. Pictured: Helen in 2016

The mother-of-three was told her cancer diagnosing would lead to a miscarriage if she tried to get pregnant, but she refused to give up on her dream of having a son

After three years, having found out that Helen’s cancer was miraculously no longer growing, the couple were searching for a surrogate mother when Helen realised she was pregnant.

The pair have since welcomed ‘perfect’ baby son Harvey George, who was allowed home from hospital this week after being born early via emergency C-section, weighing just 3lbs 5oz.

Bizarrely, the couple believe Helen’s cancer ‘did them a favour’ as it acted ‘like a cervix’, with scar tissue from her treatment keeping her pregnancy going by making it stronger.

Helen is already mother to Lucy, 20, and Hannah, 13, whom she said are ‘over the moon’ with their new brother.

She said: ‘It was really strange. One day I woke up and said , “I feel really pregnant”.

‘I was scared, excited and nervous at the same time. I was rushed for an emergency scan and found out I was over three-and-a-half weeks gone.

Helen with Harvey and her partner Paul (right), 43. Paul said Helen never gave up and would lift him up on bad days

Baby Harvey was born at 32 weeks and spent 16 days in the neonatal unit before his parents could take him home (pictured at four weeks)

‘The doctors were shocked because they’d told me it couldn’t happen. They called him a little miracle. They didn’t even expect me to last this long. In 2015, they gave me months.’

Helen admitted she was ‘really nervous’ until she reached 28 weeks, at which point doctors told her they would be happy because of the success rate.

‘I was hoping for a boy, I’ve got two girls and the thought of raising him and watching him grow has given us something to look forward to,’ she added.

‘Especially because of what my girls missed out on when I was ill. He’s made the family complete.

‘We were determined to have another child, that’s why we were looking for a surrogate. I wanted to give Paul a son because he didn’t have any of his own.’

The couple were shocked to discover that their dream of having a child together would become a reality

Baby Harvey in the neo-natal unit following his birth in June this year. Helen’s doctors could not believe she fell pregnant despite her cancer battle

Prior to her diagnosis, Helen was told that her symptoms were just her body recovering from a miscarriage.

But a smear test revealed she had cervical cancer and Helen was given months to live.

Despite her current prognosis, Helen has been told the disease will eventually come back – but the new mother insists she feels ‘perfect’.

Landscape gardener and father-of-one Paul, 43, believes Helen’s positive mindset is keeping the cancer at bay.

Paul said that Helen gave him strength during her illness. Four-week-old Harvey is the garden landscaper’s first child

The proud husband said: ‘Harvey really is our little miracle baby; there have been ups and downs but he’s gorgeous and really well behaved.

‘It’s so much to get our heads around. We’d begun looking for a surrogate and were going through interviews, then the next thing we know, Helen was pregnant.

‘The doctors were just as shocked as we were. The cancer did us a favour in a way, Helen’s cervix doesn’t work but the cancer was acting as a cervix, it’s bizarre.

‘There was lots of scar tissue from the cancer which kept the pregnancy going by making her cervix stronger.

Helen pictured during chemo. In 2015, following what she and doctors thought had been a miscarriage, Helen was diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer

Helen in hospital during her cancer treatment. The couple had been looking for a surrogate in order to have a child but Helen managed to get pregnant naturally

The mother is over the moon with her little tot and insists she feels perfect and is getting back into the swing of motherhood

‘We’re just enjoying life but we know the cancer will come back.

‘She’s such a fighter, that’s where I get my strength. I would have cracked up if she hadn’t been so positive and strong.

‘On my bad days she’s lifted me back up again. She wouldn’t give up.’

Helen had an emergency C-section at 32 weeks when Harvey’s heart rate dropped and the tiny tot spent 16 days in a neo-natal unit before being discharged on June 29.

Paul said the couple did consider Harvey as their little ‘miracle baby’ but added they were both aware cancer could come back

The mother-of-three said: ‘I’m getting back into the routine of being a new mother again after 13 years.

‘Harvey is Paul’s first and he’s been amazing, I didn’t know if he would grasp it straight away but it’s like something clicked with him.

‘Harvey is beautiful, he doesn’t make any noise, he just grunts. Hopefully, this will inspire others going through the same situation not to give up.’