( CNN ) -- When Elizabeth Joice found out that she was pregnant , she and her husband , Max , were ecstatic . A fertility specialist had told her that this would never happen , Max says , because of the chemotherapy Elizabeth underwent to beat sarcoma in 2010 . `` It very much felt like a miracle , '' he says . `` Bringing a child into this world -- I mean , it was n't just important for me ; it was one of the most important things for Liz . '' Then , one month into her pregnancy , Elizabeth 's cancer returned , he says . Surgeons removed the tumors in her back , but she needed a full-body MRI scan to know whether the cancer had spread . Because an MRI 's contrast dyes may damage a developing fetus , she faced a difficult decision . She could either terminate her pregnancy to undergo the scan or continue with the pregnancy without knowing her true cancer status . `` We felt that if we terminated this pregnancy and did these scans , if it turned out that there was no evidence of this disease after the scans , then we would have possibly given up our only chance at having a child naturally and would have done it for nothing , '' Max said . `` It was a calculated risk . We knew there was a possibility of a worst-case scenario , but we also thought there was a good chance that we could have the baby . '' Shortly after becoming pregnant , Elizabeth was introduced to filmmaker Christopher Henze . His upcoming documentary on pregnancy and motherhood will include the Joices ' story . `` It took about three minutes to realize that Liz was a stellar human being , and I wanted her for my movie , '' Henze said . `` I was impressed by the way she looked at cancer as another problem to be solved . '' Even though a shielded chest X-ray taken in November found no sign of cancer , by January , she was having trouble breathing . Another X-ray revealed tumors in her lungs . Her C-section date was moved up , and on January 23 -- six weeks early -- Lily Joice was born . `` It was incredibly difficult to want to enjoy this amazing moment as much as you possibly can , '' Max said . `` Yet to know that you 're facing something so incredibly dire , and the chances did n't look good at that point . '' After delivery , doctors found cancer in Elizabeth 's heart , abdomen and pelvis . She died in the hospital on March 9 . She was 36 . `` In the face of this life-threatening illness , '' her husband said , `` she was so optimistic and so strong and so willing to go through whatever fight she would have to go through in order to have this baby . '' Henze delivered a eulogy at Elizabeth 's funeral . `` Lots of people say 'Liz was ' ; I say 'Liz is , ' `` Henze said . `` Through her spirit and grace , she is still affecting people , and she will through the movie , will continue to impact people . Liz is . '' CNN 's Jennifer Bixler contributed to this report .
Elizabeth also began chemotherapy to treat cancer in 2010 . One month into her pregnancy , the cancer returned . Joice decided to not have an MRI to see how far the cancer had spread . She died less than two weeks after giving birth to Lily .