Couple Was Newly Married and Expecting a Baby — Then Husband Found Out He Had a Brain Tumor the Size of an Orange 

“We had just had our baby shower. I thought he was joking,” says Maggie Hanratty, who was 34 weeks pregnant when her husband got the life-changing news.

Maggie and Eddie Hanratty were in one of the happiest chapters of their lives. The newlyweds from central Florida had just celebrated their baby shower and were eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child. But a sudden MRI revealed a terrifying surprise: Eddie had a brain tumor nearly the size of an orange.

“I thought I was just getting checked out before grabbing lunch,” Eddie, 31, told PEOPLE. “The radiologist stopped me at the door and said, ‘You have a massive tumor in your head.’”

The tumor measured 7.3 centimeters. Eddie had started experiencing vision changes and headaches during their honeymoon in Mallorca, which prompted him to finally follow through on an MRI he’d postponed for a year.

When he called Maggie with the news, she was stunned. “We had just had our baby shower, and I was 34 weeks pregnant,” she recalls. “At first, I thought he was kidding.”

One week later, Eddie underwent a craniotomy — a complex brain surgery where a piece of the skull is removed. Doctors were able to remove about 98% of the tumor, but they also had to take part of his frontal lobe, affecting his emotions and memory.

“The recovery was wild,” Eddie said. “I couldn’t bend over. I had to sleep sitting up. I had to relearn how to carry our daughter.”

Maggie gave birth to baby Mila just two weeks after Eddie’s surgery.

As the couple adjusted to parenthood and Eddie’s recovery, their support network stepped in. Family and friends helped cook meals and finish the nursery. Maggie’s sister launched a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses. Meanwhile, the couple continued to run their small business — a marketing and social media company — despite Eddie being unable to work and Maggie forgoing maternity leave.

Soon after Mila’s arrival, Eddie was diagnosed with grade 3 astrocytoma and began chemotherapy and radiation.

Despite the overwhelming challenges, Eddie says the experience has given him perspective. “It’s bittersweet, but I’m grateful in a way. It reset my mindset and the people around me.”

With the removal of part of his frontal lobe, Eddie’s emotions became more difficult to regulate. “He cries more easily now,” Maggie shared. “He’s started therapy to work through it all.”

Their lives are drastically different than they were a year ago. The couple had even gone viral after Eddie surprised guests at their wedding with a gender reveal inside the cake.

But through it all, they’ve only grown closer. “I knew I was marrying someone selfless,” Eddie said. “Maggie’s been my rock. She’s patient with my memory problems, drives me places, helps me stay grounded. She’s saved me from falling into a hole.”

Maggie agrees that the journey has been difficult — and unexpected. “He had no family history, no warning signs. And yet, he’s still the best dad in the world,” she said. “Despite everything, he gets up in the night to help with Mila, feeds her, holds her. You’d never guess he went through brain surgery.”

Maggie now shares their journey on TikTok, offering a glimpse into their day-to-day life. In a recent post showing a tender moment with Mila, she wrote, “Being her mom is my favorite.”

As Eddie continues treatment, the couple faces uncertainty — but with strength, love, and a shared determination to keep moving forward.