Case Studies
Georgia (1998) and Jessie (2001) Young
WHEN newly wed Christine Young suffered a suspected ectopic pregnancy she had no idea it would cause her more than a decade of surgery and infertility.
"My husband Nick and I got married because we wanted to start a family," she said.
"But then I had a suspected ectopic pregnancy and after that that I just couldn't get pregnant."
After three years of trying, a laparoscopy showed that Christine's left fallopian tube was blocked and the area around it was "a complete mess".
"I was advised to have a hysterectomy, but that was just too devastating," said Christine
"Doctors kept telling me to do something else with my life other than trying to have children," said Christine.
The couple decided to go to try IVF treatment at Bourn Hall. After seven unsuccessful attempts they were offered a new technique at the time called assisted hatching, where the outside of the embryo is punctured to allow it to implant more easily.
"And finally Christine fell pregnant. She still cries as she remembers seeing the heartbeat on her first scan. "It was amazing," she said. "Even the sonographer was really excited because she'd scanned me so many times."
Her daughter Georgia was born at 37 weeks on December 21 and Jessie followed later.
Despite the heartache and the financial burden they felt during their IVF treatment, which they paid for privately, Christine has nothing but praise for the staff at Bourn Hall.
"Without Bourn Hall we wouldn't have our children," said Christine, who has since had a hysterectomy
"I just felt that if we kept going, eventually we would get there."
"The staff were fabulous.
"They were very friendly, but they never gave you false hope."
