Updated

A Louisiana woman with cystic fibrosis defied the odds and gave birth to triplets, The Daily Mail reported.

Doctors originally told Kandace Smith to terminate her pregnancy because of her medical condition, but Smith was determined to see her pregnancy through, despite the risks.

Cystic fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, causes the lungs to produce a sticky, thick mucus, which can make breathing difficult. CF patients have a shorter life expectancy. Pregnancy can increase the pressure to ones’ lungs, which is why doctors are reluctant to let CF patients carry a child.

Smith was monitored closely throughout her pregnancy, but eventually breathing became difficult, and the triplets were delivered at 28 weeks.

The babies, identical girls, were named Dakota, Brooklyn and Savannah. They are healthy and do not show signs of having cystic fibrosis.

“It has been the hardest fight of my life - but it has been worth every second,” Smith said. “I would have died for my girls if I’d had to.”

Click here to read more on this story from The Daily Mail.