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Latest Surrogacy News
Couples
launch search for egg donors
February 16, 2004
EDP24
Desperate couples
across Norfolk are being forced to resort to advertising
for women to donate eggs so they can have the children
they long for.
With waiting lists standing at up to three years because
of a shortage of donors, some would-be parents fear time
is running out for them to get the specialist fertility
treatment they need.
Women need the eggs because their own are not capable of
producing children.
But health experts predict the situation will only get
worse when new government legislation comes into effect
in April 2005, meaning egg, sperm and embryo donors will
lose their right to anonymity.
Couples fear that will see the already limited supply of
eggs fall dramatically, dashing their hopes of ever
becoming parents.
Early evidence suggests that, when women have to forfeit
their anonymity, they will also stop donating eggs to
desperate couples.
For two Norfolk couples, that means their best chance of
ever having children this way lies in the next few
months.
As a result, they are appealing for donors to come
forward.
Both are patients at the leading fertility centre at St
Bartholomew's Hospital, in London, which also runs a
satellite service in Norwich.
One couple from near Norwich, who are in their mid-30s
and wish to remain anonymous, have put up posters in
shops and sent letters to GPs' surgeries appealing for
egg donors.
"We are that desperate," they said, "but with changes in
anonymity for donors, it will get worse for us."
Debbie Rothwell, 42, and Mick Finnie, 43, who run the
Green Dragon inn at Wymondham, are also appealing for
donors.
Mick said: "For us, it is a race against time.
"The treatment is not offered to people over 45 and,
with a waiting list of two to three years, our only real
hope is for an egg donor.
"After next April, we fear donors will be virtually
non-existent."
Ruth Pellow, egg donation co-ordinator, from Barts,
said: "The changes the Government is introducing on
anonymity for sperm, egg and embryo donors are going to
have an impact.
"It is a very special group of women who donate eggs and
for them the legislation will have huge implications.
"We hope some people will still be happy to donate but
we can only go by what our donors say and they do have
concerns about donating."
Consequently, the lengthy waiting list will only get
longer.
Egg donation – for a process which is essentially IVF
(in-vitro fertilisation) using someone else's eggs - is
needed because some women do not have their own eggs for
reasons such as the menopause could have started early;
some lost their fertility; IVF has failed and others
because of chemotherapy.
"Egg donors are needed to give these women eggs," she
added. "The eggs are fertilised using partner's sperm."
Nurse Pellow added: "Recipients have to resort to
appealing for eggs simply because the waiting list is so
long.
"Some women who donate say that they didn't before
because they didn't know much about it, that's why we
encourage our recipients to be pro-active and raise
awareness."
The changes, which will apply to sperm, egg and embryo
donors, will come into force from April 2005, meaning
the first time donor children will be able to find out
their parent's identity will be in 2023.
Shelagh Wragg from North Walsham, who runs Norfolk-based
Fertility Support Group Nest with husband Steve, said
only a dedicated group of women come forward to donate
eggs because it is a difficult procedure. But she
advises women who may be interested to find out more and
seriously consider becoming donors.
"I know women who have received donated eggs," she said,
"and for them it really is a life-changing experience.
"For couples who cannot have children and are waiting
for an egg donor, life can be awful, the issue can
become all-consuming for them. They see other couples
around them who appear to have had children normally and
they wonder why they can't."
Barts is an NHS centre, though there are private centres
in the UK.
In Norfolk, couples are funded through Primary Care
Trusts for their treatment on the NHS whereas in some
parts of the country they have to foot the £3000 bill
themselves.
Barts is a well-established fertility clinic and will
move into a £4m refurbished centre at the beginning of
April and will continue to deal with a rising demand.
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