A Model’s Heartbreaking Choice: How a Seeming Toothache Forced a Pregnant Woman into the Fight of Her Life

For Latvian-born Canadian model Elizaveta Bulokhova, a romantic vacation to Amsterdam in May 2014 was supposed to be a rare chance to rest and reconnect with her boyfriend, Roman Trebetskoy. At just 24 years old, her blooming runway career had taken her from Toronto to the fashion hubs of Manhattan, London, Hong Kong, and South Africa. But as the couple explored the picturesque canals of the Netherlands, a persistent soreness and swelling began in her jaw. Assuming it was merely a stubborn toothache, she tried to push through the discomfort, unaware that her life was about to be turned completely upside down.

Within two months, the mild swelling escalated into severe, debilitating pain. After returning home, doctors performed a series of biopsies and CT scans to find the root cause. In October 2014, the devastating diagnosis came: Elizaveta had osteosarcoma, an extremely rare and aggressive form of bone cancer in her jaw. The treatment plan was brutal. Surgeons would need to remove 95 percent of her jaw, followed by five intense rounds of chemotherapy. The toxic treatments carried severe risks, including hair loss, extreme nausea, and a dangerously weakened immune system.

The medical crisis was compounded by an incredible revelation: Elizaveta was pregnant. Suddenly, she was fighting for two. Her joy was instantly shattered when oncologists delivered a devastating ultimatum. To undergo the life-saving chemotherapy and surgery, she would have to terminate her perfectly healthy pregnancy. Faced with an impossible choice, a devastated Elizaveta prepared herself to say goodbye to her unborn child, speaking to him in her womb and begging him to stop moving so she could find the strength to go through with the procedure.

What followed was a miracle of timing and medical coordination. Recognizing her profound maternal grief, doctors realized that because she was nearing her third trimester, they could safely deliver the baby early via emergency Cesarean section before her chemotherapy began. Baby Valentin was born prematurely but healthy, a tiny beacon of hope. Elizaveta then endured her grueling surgeries and treatments, eventually reconstructing her jaw using bone from her leg. Today, she stands not only as a survivor of a relentless disease, but as a mother whose story of sacrifice and resilience serves as an extraordinary testament to the power of maternal love.