Stay the hell out of my right to have a child

IN her letter (December 21), Kathy Synott writes passionately about the recent Supreme Court decision on human embryos, calling it “a betrayal of the Irish people”. She talks very theoretically about the grand issues involved and invokes the name of Louise Brown, the first IVF child.

I met Louise Brown, albeit fleetingly, at her 21st birthday party at Bourn Hall clinic in Cambridge – an event I was invited to as a result of undergoing successful IVF treatment there. So I have some right to tell Ms Sinnott to feel free to express her own views in private and stay the hell out of my right to have a child.

Campaigners like her are so reminiscent of those who tried to block Dr Bob Edwards (whom I was privileged to meet at the same event) and Dr Patrick Steptoe at every turn as they tried to help couples like the parents of Louise Brown. Thank goodness they succeeded against all the obstacles put in their way by such people. Under Ms Sinnott’s objectives, IVF would just not be practical and many couples would be derived of the joy of parenthood. The reality is that our first IVF cycle produced 22 eggs, of which 12 were successfully fertilised. Does Ms Sinnott think we should have committed to 12 or even 22 children? These embryos were graded on likelihood to implant and develop: four were deemed “most likely to succeed” and eight “unlikely to implant”.

Does Ms Sinnott think we were required to implant all 12? As it was, we implanted two and were fortunate to have a very healthy child. We later implanted another two and were unsuccessful. Who does Ms Sinnott think took “the right to life” of the three implanted embryos that did not develop?

We took the doctor’s advice that the most likely path to further conception would be another IVF cycle rather than relying on the remaining eight embryos as these would normally miscarry (or is that “naturally abort”?) in an unassisted pregnancy. Does Ms Sinnott think we should have continued implanting these additional embryos at a near zero success rate? Who does she think is responsible for the miscarriages (or is that “natural abortions”?) that normally result from these?

There were 1,100 IVF children from this one clinic at Louise Brown’s 21st party and there are well over three million IVF children worldwide. Approximately 2% of all live births in western Europe are now “assisted” by methods based on the good work of Edwards and Steptoe and those following on from them. These children are given the “right to life” thanks to the dedicated efforts of these two doctors. Yet thanks to “religious sensitivities” there is no sign of Nobel recognition for their amazing work. If Ms Sinnott doesn’t approve, that’s her business, but don’t let her try to force her will on those of us who need this great human achievement.

Andrew Doyle

Clifden

Lislevane

Bandon

Co Cork