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By Catholic law, it is allowed to get treatment for cancer during pregnancy even if that treatment will kill the unborn child--you see, the aim of the treatment is to cure the mother of cancer, not to kill the child. The child's death is considered an unwanted side effect of the treatment, not murder.

This is why her actions are considered "heroic". However, merely doing this action would not make one a canonized saint i.e. worthy of other christians to follow your actions. This lady was a very good Christian in all of her life.

I also should say that I have met women who chose to treat the cancer, and lived, and that I have met women who delayed their cancer treatment to save their children, but who also lived despite this delay. It is not, alas, a rare problem...