A woman who suffered 11 devastating miscarriages has spoken of her hopes of becoming a mum and having her own little family.
Deri Baines-White and her husband Gary met at the age of 35 and they knew they wanted to create a family as soon as possible.
They started trying for a baby in 2010 and since then, they suffered 11 miscarriages, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The woman, who is now 47, said having a baby would be "a wish come true", as she added: "I can't explain how much it would mean for us to be a family.
"It would be a wish come true – I can't even put it into words. It’s been very stressful but we're a strong unit and we've got through each loss. But every time we lost a baby, we lost part of our soul."
Deri first got pregnant in 2010 but she suffered an ectopic pregnancy, which happens when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes.
A short time later, she had another ectopic pregnancy followed by a blighted ovum, which means the placenta and sac grow but the embryo fails to develop.
As they grew older, the couple, who live in Monton, Salford, decided to save up £6,000 for IVF treatment in Prague and visited the Czech Republic in 2013.
Deri had donor eggs implanted and fell pregnant with twins but tragically miscarried when fluid leaked into her womb.
"It was another loss and it was very devastating," she added. "We went back and forth having miscarriages..
"I became obsessed [with becoming pregnant]. I must have spent around £2,000 on pregnancy tests.
"Sometimes I’ll take them three times a day. I can have a positive test in the morning and by the afternoon it will be negative and I knew it was going to be a loss. I was just looking all the time."
In late 2019, while Deri was studying towards a mental health nursing degree at university, her mum Janice died after being diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Deri and Gary, also 47, had been living in a caravan park in Wales at the time of her death, using Janice's property as proof of a second home.
But when she died, they no longer had anywhere to live when the park closed once a year, meaning Deri and Gary were given an eviction notice and found themselves homeless.
The trauma of losing her beloved mum left Deri in a very dark place. Too unwell to return to university, she was diagnosed with PTSD and ultimately lost her job as a cleaner.
"We wanted to get pregnant for her to be a nana," Deri said as she started to cry. "She wanted to be a nana and we couldn't do that for her.
"I lost my place at university, I lost my job, my car and our home. I had to watch my mum die."
With nowhere to live, the couple moved in with Gary's mother in Salford before applying for a council property. They now live in their own one-bedroom flat in Monton.
"We came here jobless, homeless and carless," Deri added. "We made a bit and now we're here in our lovely little flat and our lives are back on track."
Having recovered from the trauma, the pair now feel ready to try for a baby again – believing they only have one more shot due to their ages.
The couple explored the option of adoption but did not meet the criteria due to living in a one-bedroom flat.
"We were homeless for a while so we weren't thinking about getting pregnant," Deri added.
"But we're coming up to 48 this year and we just wanted to try once more for a baby. I'm feeling better and I've moved on and I think it's the right time."
Deri says the couple believe a hydrosalpinx – a fluid blockage in the fallopian tubes that can make it difficult to become pregnant – may be the reason behind all her baby losses.
She has now chosen to have her right fallopian tube removed and believes a donated embryo is the last chance she has at becoming a mother.
The couple are set to return to Prague for another round of IVF treatment, costing more than £10,000, and have set up a GoFundMe appeal in the hopes of raising money for the procedure.
"My husband and I started later in life; it would be everything to us," Deri added. "It would be the light at the end of the tunnel. It would complete us and our family."
You can donate to the fundraiser here.
