SADS004 - Shannon SIMS WAS TAKEN BY THE SS because of THE RSPCA

SADS004 - Shannon SIMS WAS TAKEN BY THE SS because of THE RSPCA

LITTLE MIRACLE CALLED SHANNON
Published Date: 26 June 2003


AN Eastbourne woman became the first in Britain to have a child through a controversial new fertility treatment – four years after NHS staff wrongly labelled her husband infertile.
Debra Sims, 38, of Brodrick Road, fell pregnant after taking part in an 'egg giving' programme.
She is now the proud mother of a beautiful baby daughter named Shannon.


But Debra spoke of her nighmare at the hands of NHS experts, who wrongly branded her husband Tony as infertile for THREE YEARS after getting his files mixed up with another man's.
The couple had been trying for a baby for 12 months before seeing a specialist.
However, NHS fertility doctors told them they had little – if any – hope of success.
Debra said that during the ordeal, when she nearly gave up on having a baby, her marriage came close to collapse and she was even driven to contemplate suicide.


She said, 'I only went through all the treatment because we were told my husband was infertile.
'The clinic for IVF patients was in the same place as the maternity unit. When you had an appointment you would be sitting there for five hours before you were seen.


'Try sitting there for that time when there are pregnant women walking in and out. It used to devastate me. I used to think I can't take it any more.'
Debra only realised the specialists' blunder by chance, when she spotted the name on his file was wrong.


'I said, 'That's not my husband'.
The file had a completely different christian name on it. But they maintained it was his file and they insisted Tony was infertile.


'That was until we pointed out the age on the file was also different to my husband's. All they said was 'Oh dear, it looks like we've made a mistake'.


'I was disgusted. To think that we had gone through years of hell for nothing and that Tony had been told he was infertile was devastating.'


But then, just a few weeks later, Debra saw an advert in the Evening Standard which read, 'Women wanted to give eggs'.


Debra said she answered the advertisment simply to have her eggs tested. 'I wanted to see if I could have children,' she said.


The clinic was the Logan Centre for Assisted Reproduction in London and the man in charge of the programme was Professor Ian Craft.


Debra gave a number of her eggs free of charge which were to be used by another woman who was unable to produce her own.


But Debra said, 'The professor told me I had a few problems of my own but he could help me.'
Using her own eggs and Tony's sperm, Debra fell pregnant after the second round of treatment.
Trials of the treatment were launched in 2001 following Debra's success. Professor Craft formally launched the cut-price fertility treatment this week. The programme will cost women who agree to donate eggs £950, compared to around £2,500 for full-price private IVF treatment.


Critics, who include Lord Winston, claim it will exploit women, especially those who cannot afford the full cost of IVF treatment and might be tempted to donate some eggs in exchange for the chance to try for a bargain price test-tube baby.


But Debra said, 'More and more women are deciding to have babies later in life. At least one in four of those will have a problem with fertility.


By the time they find out they've got a problem and get seen and dealt with, they're 40 and told that they're too old for IVF. They have to face being childless forever.


'That was the prospect Tony and I faced.


'But Shannon is our little miracle.

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This child has been Kidnapped by the SS & The Vile British Families Courts see the details CLICK HERE