Julie Bradford, 45, offered her womb to her daughter Jess after she was left infertile by ovarian cancer at the age of just 18, and she says “any mother would do this for their child”
Devoted mum Julie Bradford has admitted nothing was going to stop her having a surrogate baby for her cancer-stricken daughter.
The hairdresser, 45, bravely stood in for Jessica Jenkins, 21, after she was told she would never be able to have children.
Devastated Jessica opted to have her eggs frozen after becoming one of the youngest women in Britain to be diagnosed with cervical cancer when she was just 18.
Now, three years later, Julie has given birth to her baby grandson Jack.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, proud Julie said: “Any mother would do this for their child. It was never in question from day one. He’s a Christmas miracle to us.
“You watch your daughter go through cancer at 18 and then say you would not do the same. But I would have done it anyway, it’s what mums do.
“If cancer couldn’t beat us there was no way I wasn’t having a baby for Jessica.”
And delighted Jessica said: “I cannot believe I’ve gone from facing death with cancer to facing my first Christmas with my son in just a few years.
“It just shows you how, no matter what life throws at you, you should never give up, because anything is possible.”
Jack — born last Friday at a healthy 6lb 10oz — may not have arrived if it was not for the quick thinking of doctors.
Jessica, of Rhymney, South Wales, had her eggs harvested on the day she started radiotherapy. She said: “The depth of despair was not getting cancer, you can beat cancer, the true depth was being told point blank I’d never have kids.
“But the doctors were brilliant, it usually takes at least four weeks to harvest eggs for IVF but they managed to do it in two.
“I had my eggs harvested in the morning, and started radiotherapy that afternoon.
“It was the last possible moment I could have started treatment. But it was such an immense feeling of relief to know that no matter what happened, I had done that because I had always longed to be a mum and couldn’t bear that being taken away.”
Jessica’s husband Rees Jenkins, 27, said being told the couple could never have children was a massive blow.
The machine setter fought back tears as he revealed: “The cancer I could deal with, it was horrible, but you knew there was hope. I’d never cried in front of Jess until the day she told me she could never have kids. We just sat in the car and bawled our eyes out.
“She said I should leave her, go my own way, I don’t think I’ve ever loved her more then I did in that moment.”
Much to the couple’s relief, Jessica soon battled back from cancer and has been in remission since October 2014.
And as soon as she got the all-clear, her devoted mum Julie stepped in to give her what she wanted most — a child.
Doctors had managed to take 21 eggs but only 10 had survived by the time they chose to go ahead with the IVF treatment earlier this year.
But despite her age and already having three children of her own, Julie said there was never any doubt she would help.
The mum, who went through the menopause at 38, continued: “We couldn’t control the cancer but we could control this so it was my way of taking control back for my daughter. I could do something incredible for Jessica and that’s what I was going to do, nothing was going to stop me.”
Incredibly, Julie learned she was pregnant on April 9 this year — two years to the day that Jessica was told she could never have children.
The pair have been inseparable ever since and talk lovingly of the moment Jessica felt Jack kick for the first time.
Wiping away tears, Jessica said: “We were hugging on the couch watching TV and Jack kicked me in the head. We both just cried our eyes out, it was the most amazing experience.
“My mum is my hero, she has shown me what true love means, I can never repay her for what she has done for us and the sacrifices she has made.”
The experience was not quite the same for Jack’s dad Rees.
He said: “I’ll admit at first it did freak me out that my son was being carried in my mum-in-law. I kept my distance respectfully a tiny little bit but as soon as she started showing, I thought I can’t keep my distance from this. It is the most amazing thing any person can do for another.
“Jess and her mum had a great relationship anyway but it’s only strengthened now.
“Seeing Jess and her mum crying with Jack in their arms will always be the greatest day of my life. I have not said thank you to Julie enough and I want her to know just how thankful I am, from the bottom of my heart.
“A few years ago I was in a cold medical room being informed Jess could die, then I was in a room welcoming our son into the world. It’s truly wonderful.”
Jessica was by her mother’s side throughout the three-and-a-half hour labour. Jessica said: “It was horrible watching my mum in pain, I felt really helpless but I held her hand and mopped her brow, she was truly incredible. The most incredible mum in the world.
Julie laughed: “I have had three so I did warn her what it would be like but I just got on with it.
“I had a bit of gas and air at the end but didn’t even touch a paracetamol.
“I was just so pleased to be able to bring my daughter’s child into the world, you don’t feel pain at times like that.”
Jessica also revealed she has not ruled out further children but will not ask Julie again. Instead she has her hopes set on pioneering womb transplant technology.
She said: “I couldn’t put mum through it again — I know they’re doing clinical trials on womb transplants in Switzerland — so the moment that comes over here I’m putting myself forward.”
And once again Julie has stepped in to help — by offering to donate her own womb for transplant.
Julie said: “I wouldn’t think twice. It’s clearly in working order isn’t.”
OMG, that's awesome!! Great they've solved the problem in this way. Surrogacy is a great option to use, surely. Though the law differs everywhere. So that you cannot pass the surrogacy treatment wherever you want. Or if you just want only.. This is usually a long cmplicated process. Dh and I passed surrogacy in Ukraine. Here's what's needed to be kept in mind. The Ukrainian law allows also egg donation, although egg donors must remain completely anonymous. This means that neither the donor nor the intended parents can get to know each other, including seeing pictures or in person.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, the legislation on ART practice in Ukraine allows the use of PGD with gender selection to choose the sex of the baby. Doing it by means of PGD means that it is carried out prior to the embryo transfer to the surrogate’s womb.
It should be noted that using PGD for the determination of the embryo’s sex is permitted only to prevent an inherited condition related to the child’s sex.
It is important to keep in mind that the law allows embryo donation and sperm donation, too. However, as we have mentioned above, at least the intended father must provide his DNA for the creation of the embryo in surrogacy arrangements.
Thank you for this useful post. They've recently introduced a completely new treatment method, here's the link https://biotexcom.com/a-unique-method-to-get-pregnant-in-your-40s-with-your-own-eggs/. Mitochondria replacement therapy is an innovation and a breakthrough in the field of ART. This program gives women, who underwent numerous unsuccessful IVF cycles, aged 40+, patients with low mitochondrial functional activity, an excellent chance to give birth to a child who shares a genetic relationship with her and her partner. Mitochondrion is one of the most important components of any living cell, including the egg. In simple words, mitochondrion is the cell’s energy station. Essentially, its work consists in supplying the cell with vital energy for its normal functioning. Women that went through multiple unsuccessful IVF attempts, as well as of older reproductive age, need to restore oocyte mitochondria in order to successfully become pregnant. A woman can become pregnant only if there are functionally active mitochondria in her oocytes. So they insert functionally active donor mitochondria into the cells of an infertile patient, that provides the patient’s cell with the necessary energy and contributes to successful pregnancy. Mitochondrial DNA and Human DNA are different things. It only gives that necessary energy to the oocyst and helps with developing an embryo and make it stronger. DNA is in the core of the mitochondria, which are not used for donation. Therefore, genetically, mitochondria have no effect on the embryo.
DeleteSounds impressive, doesn't it?
Really great place to be in! dh and I had our initial consultation at Biotexcom clinic back in Jan 2016 after finding out my health issues would never let me carry the pregnancy. Moreover conceiving naturally would never have been a possibility!! And after a little research I came across this clinic in Kyiv to discuss our options. Immediately we loved everything about the clinic. Staff were incredibly friendly. Our dr made us feel at ease as she ran through the options available. We started surrogacy program straight away and over the following 2 months visited the clinic several times for medication and scans. Each time we felt more and more positive. The nurses were extremely caring. We had almost an instant feeling we were in good hands. Fortunately for us, soon we found out our surrogate was pregnant and had had a first healthy heartbeat scan results. I know everybodys situation varies and we have been extremely lucky for our first cycle to have worked. However, I still wanted to sing the praise of this clinic as they looked after us so well from day one. Our beautiful dr has an amazing team! Along with her own compassion, knowledge and skills they gave us something a year ago ago we never thought we would have.
DeleteWe're grateful forever!!
Unbelievable! What a kind woman she is! I'm sure every mom wants the best for her kids. And in this very case the daughter was suffering cancer..I'm sure the chemos influence dreadfully onto fertility and not only fertility health. The mom's though is amazing! She took this burden to help her kid to experience parenting..Through means of surrogacy..Quite strange but God bless such people around. They create new lives. They help those in need. They show there's always the way out even from the toughest situation. Good reading. Very inspiring indeed.
ReplyDeleteWoww, what an amazing story! Thanks for sharing it! Cancer is a huge grief for people. And the way it influences fertility..Oh god this is even tough to think about.. I read some stories here and there on how surrogacy turns out to be their only chance for success. (This must be extremelly hard to realize though) One from the last read is the story about Lynsey Morgan and her husband Dan.
ReplyDeleteAfter meeting they had always imagined that they would have a family one day. But then Lynsey was diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukaemia, after just a few weeks of feeling unwell!! This meant sessions of chemotherapy and ultimately a life-saving bone marrow transplant. Those treatments meant she was unlikely ever to have her own children. But she and Dan have become one of the first families to be helped by the new surrogacy service. And the generosity of a Wirral mother who was carrying their child.
In the situation described above mom did super well for her daughter. She's a strong, courageous woman willing to do her best for her child. Though in a way strange for people's ears. How is it to become a mother to a grandson??! I can't really imagine myself! But things happen. Thanks to God there're so many ways nowadays to beat infertility!
Me with dh had been struggling infertility for 7 years. We'd been through 6 failed IUI cycles when one day found ourselves starting ivf cycle. Unfortunately/fortunately it was called off because of 1 additional test to be done. So this 1 single additional test done could have told us 7 years ago that it was not going to happen. I couldn't carry pregnancies!! We went for surrogacy at Biotexcom a year ago. Now I'm a 43 yo mom of beautiful twins)) Wishing all the best of luck to those struggling the issues to become happy with their kids one day. Be blessed!
I heard this story too. Both ones are just amazing. Surrogacy creates miracles nowadays. People are so lucky to have this very option as often this turns out the last way to have genetically related kids. We were trying to conceive since 2010. We had five unsuccessful IUI's. Further testing done and the following year I found out that I have low egg count. AMH test found only 1.5% of my eggs are left at age 35 when normal egg count at age 35 is 34-40%!! Husband's sperm DNA analysis indicated he has no drills in his sperm. So we got two huge issues and explanations why no luck conceiving naturally. Still I remained healthy enough to carry pregnancy. So we tried 2 more ivf shots which failed unfortunately. At our new clinic Biotexcom we were told we'd better use donor eggs with ivf to get more chances. We followed the advice and soon were extremelly happy to have out tiny sweet Andy. I know this is far from surrogacy and the matters described above. Our cases differ so much. I'm just so much glad for women like us who continue struggling no matter how painful it could be. I congratulate you with your beautiful twins. May you and all your family be blessed always.
DeleteIncredible story!!
ReplyDeleteI am a 35 year old, married woman who suffered from infertility. My husband & I have been married almost 8 years and have, unfortunately, suffered multiple miscarriages and an ectopic resulting in rupture and removal of both tubes. Not only was these losses physically tiring considering 2 of the 3 required major, emergency surgery, but they have scared me emotionally, psychologically & traumatized me and my husband to the core. Prior to the tubal I underwent tubal reconstructive surgery in the hopes to successfully conceive naturally without medical issues. We were wrong. 6 months after the surgery, I became pregnant with ectopic pregnancy. After severe hesitation on my end, I finally chose the doctor I would see for IVF & scheduled our consultation. It was great news to hear that I was the ideal candidate for IVF. She even gave us a 75% success rate & financially it was better than expected. Actually we passed 2 ivf cycles with them but never succeeded. Our shot#1 resulted in chemical pregnancy. Shot#2 – BFN. Those were not the outcomes we were expecting for having been given rather high success verdict before. So we decided to switch the clinics. Soon we found ourselves in Ukrainian Biotexcom clinic. Their specialists made further investigations for our case and came to conclusion my body is not healthy enough to carry pregnancy at all. We were adviced to move onto surrogacy. The whole process passed smooth for us. It took us less than 15 months to see our beautiful LO for the first time. Just one unexpected thing happened to us at the end. We had a small problem with our marriage certificate. The name in it one letter differed from the name on my passport. Our coordinator advised us with the issue. We had to obtain an official intermediate document confirming my identity. That was quite emotional, because a failure to provide such document might have caused the process delay. Thanks to the clinic's support the problem was solved.
We are very thankful for all your support and care provided. You helped us to make our family complete. Great job, thank you!!
Unfortunately, there are many reasons why a miscarriage may happen. Although the cause is often not identified. If a miscarriage happens during the 1st trimester of pregnancy, it's usually caused by problems with the foetus. About 3 in every 4 miscarriages happen during this period..This statistics is very sad indeed, our tiny beans face the hugest issues during this very period of time. If a miscarriage happens after the first trimester of pregnancy, it may be the result of things like an underlying health condition in the mother.
ReplyDeleteLate miscarriages may also be caused by an infection around the baby. This usually leads to the bag of waters breaking before any pain or bleeding. Sometimes they can be caused by the neck of the womb opening too soon. First trimester miscarriages are often caused by problems with the chromosomes of the foetus. Chromosome problems - Chromosomes are blocks of DNA. They contain a detailed set of instructions that control a wide range of factors, from how the cells of the body develop to what colour eyes a baby will have. Sometimes something can go wrong at the point of conception and the foetus receives too many or not enough chromosomes. The reasons for this are often unclear, but it means the foetus won't be able to develop normally, resulting in a miscarriage. This is very unlikely to recur. It doesn't necessarily mean there's any problem with you or your partner. Placental problems. The placenta is the organ linking the mother's blood supply to her baby's. If there's a problem with the development of the placenta, it can also lead to a miscarriage.
Several long-term (chronic) health conditions can increase your risk of having a miscarriage in the second trimester, especially if they’re not treated or well controlled.. Infections. Food poisoning. Medicines (Medicines that increase your risk include: misoprostol – used for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
retinoids – used for eczema and acne. methotrexate – used for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) – such as ibuprofen; these are used for pain and inflammation. To be sure a medicine is safe in pregnancy, always check with your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before taking it.). Womb structure. Weakened cervix.
OMG, how lovely it is!!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't make my mind around this after reading the article. Really, so astonishing! This must be so hard for the girl's mother to participate in the procedure like that. Moreover to know your daughter's been through such a deal, that not everyone can struggle - cancer..And after all they decide to keep on moving and think out such a perspective plan! Brave ladies they are - only best regards to them.
Infertility journeys differ. Ours is not so complicated but it took a huge life part from us. Years within which you cannot sleep, eat or think of anything else except your desired kids. And that you're not valid to have them on your own or without medical help. And this destroys your well being. It affects your relationship with a dh. It says your life is wrong when childless. And you begin to seek ways out. And you find them and you do try them until you're told this is in vain! OMG how much could a person's soul suffer!! How much one can endure! I had one kid naturally at 39 yo. So I had nothing to complain about. But at 45 when I started to try to have a sibling for her, I suffered 6 miscarriages in a row!! Testing showed I could probably conceive again (which I did!) But I had other issues (Clotting disorder among other things). So I did 4 rounds of IVF and got 12 eggs and 8 embryos. 4 of those were profoundly abnormal!
So I did 4 expensive rounds of injectables and nothing. So it was down to donor egg or no child. Slowly I came to terms with it. I don’t even think now I’m 100% comfortable. But I think I am there. Here one should take as much time as needed. Feelings are so valid. Something you just picture your whole life has been taken away from you. Something very precious. Guys at Biotexcom were doing their best to help us achieve our sacred dream. Once we saw the heartbeat of our tiny bean we understood the nightmare was behind so that we could see the light at the end of the tunel. And yes, I failed to use OE. We used donor egg. But actually this doesn't matter now when I’m 9.5 weeks pregnant with a boy or a girl. Not sure yet. Miracles happen, ladies, miracles DO happen!!
Mommies are amazing! How much can mom's heart endure, that's incredible! Actually I' still not there. It's so hard to imagine a granny involved into a grandson creation. Sounds really weird. Still I appreciate such act so much. The woman knew her daughter could not concieve or bear pregnancy herself. So giving her eggs to a surrogate was the only way out. And she did. She did so very right! She saved her daughter from feeling alone and useless. (We, infertile ladies, know how it feels. We spent years ttc usuccessfully. Tried 5 shots iui which failed. 1 cancelled ivf following another ivf failure. Everything in vain, unless getting to donor eggs with ivf..) It's hard to imagine if all those conditioned would be added with a surrogate involved. Though we did have this option as the last one to count on if things went wrong. Brave worriors struggling women are. The story shows one should never give up to achieve success finally one day.
ReplyDeleteI guess this is time to share my story. Of course it differs so much from the one above. I had never voiced some of the aspects but it was always easier to hide behind a screen. I felt both comforted in knowing there are others out there going through this roller coaster journey. And pained that it impacts so many of us!! I remember our 1st meeting an IVF specialist. She reviewed the information we provided. We discussed previous tests or treatments we underwent. Once we discussed and addressed any concerns or questions, she recommended how best to proceed. She also suggested carrying out certain tests to assess my uterus and ovarian function. On the whole our infertility history can be described this way.
ReplyDeleteTTC since 2010,
Both 36 are good. They dx us on unexplained infertility.
IUI #1 - Femara days 3-7 With Crinone. BFP to m/c week 8.
IUI #2 - the same meds - BFN (tested & AF arrived).
IUI #3 - the same meds - BFP. Went to dr. And found hcg over 12k. After ultrasound found 8 week ectopic. Leading to surgery and removal of one of my tubes.
IUI #4 - BFN. IUI #5 - BFN. Applied for IVF at Biotexcom, Ukraine.
IVF round #1 - BFN (We got 5 embies frozen!)
IVF round #2 - two d3 tranferred - BFP. Beta #3: 44 --m/c :*(
IVF round #3 - two d3 B's transferred - BFP! Beta #3: 4,690!. Heartrate of 119 bpm at 6w3d!! Oh my, this was a long way to see our boy!!
A nice story to read. Mom's heart is full of love to do sth like this. Dropped in to remind a couple of things. Biotexcom is a great place to move to surrogacy. All their packages are all-inclusive. Meaning they include: Accommodation. Meals. Medical procedures and medications. Medical and psychological examination of the surrogates. Payments to the surrogate. Transfers to and from the airport and the clinic. Donor eggs if needed – for no additional price!! Interpreter with you at the clinic on every visit. Legal help to obtain documents for the baby after it is born. Monthly ultrasound reports with pictures of your baby. English speaking coordinator who is considered to be your point of contact at the clinic. Moreover, all packages are paid in 5 intallments!! No need to pay the whole money sum at once. The last 2 installments are paid after the birth of your baby! Needless to say their ”guaranteed” refund if no luck.
ReplyDelete