A Scots mum who has endured countless miscarriages on her journey to have children says she has one last chance at giving her son a sibling after running low on embryos.
Pamela MacKenzie, 43, and her husband Ian, from Edinburgh, finally had four-year-old Patrick after 18 years of trying for a baby. Pamela suffered 12 miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy – when a fertilised egg implants itself outside the womb, usually in the fallopian tubes, and cannot safely develop – along the way.
However, the pair say Patrick "desperately" wants a little brother or sister and, after two failed IVF treatments on the NHS, they have travelled to Prague and Spain for private treatment. With just two embryos now left in Spain, Edinburgh Live reports that they are down to their last chance.
The mum said: "We tried for a baby for 18 years but I had 12 miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy. In 2018, we were told by the NHS that we didn't qualify for any more help. After two sessions, we couldn't get anymore, the funding just isn't there, but we were treated well by the NHS.
"We had to find somewhere private so we went to Prague and used donor embryo transfer. Fortunately, we got our son Patrick through that. We've been trying for a sibling for him for about three years now. He's being assessed for ASD and the one thing he really wants is a brother or sister."
Pamela, who volunteers at the National Infertility Charity, underwent two cycles of IVF in Spain to no success. She has launched a fundraiser in the hope of covering the costs needed to undergo the final rounds of treatment with her last embryos.
She added: "That time I got pregnant but each time since I've had a miscarriage. I've got two embryos left in Spain but no funds to keep going over.
"I just want to give it one last try. If it doesn't work then we'll have to move on from it.
"I'm 43 and my husband's 45 so it's our last chance. So we've decided to try and raise funds for us to go.
"The thing about secondary infertility is the guilt, the guilt of not being able to give Patrick a sibling. But it just pushes me to try. If I don't try, I probably will regret it."
Pamela spent 18 years trying to get pregnant with Patrick, trying everything from tablets to induce ovulation to injections before trying IVF, in which an egg is fertilised with sperm outside the body before being reintroduced to the mother's womb.
She continued: "It's just really hard because you build up hope and then even if you get pregnant you wait for something to go wrong. When I was pregnant with Patrick I was on edge all the time.
"It wasn't until I was seven months pregnant that I actually bought a buggy and stuff just in case something went wrong and I'd then have all the stuff in the house. Even when the scans are showing that everything is fine, you still have that doubt in your mind."
Despite the heart-wrenching challenges and losses, she is ready for one last go for Patrick's sake. "I don't know if I'm strong, my friends tell me I am, but I'm just determined," she adds.
The couple are now raising funds with a target of £1,500 to help them get to Spain, covering travel, accommodation and medication costs. The fundraiser can be found here.
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