Victoria, 45, and Ross, 38, are one of the thousands of couples that come to Spain for its reproductive medicine every year. Victoria already has a child from a previous relationship, but she wanted to have a child with her current partner Ross. “Even though Ross is an excellent step dad, he would also like to have his own biological child and I wanted to share that with him,” says Victoria.
After trying almost everything in their home countries, Spain is the main destination for UK couples and single women to fulfil their dream. The Iberian peninsula is pioneer in the field of reproductive medicine in Europe and Spanish legislation is more liberal allowing clinics to offer more advanced treatments without long waiting lists.
After trying for three-and-a-half years, Victoria and Ross found out that Victoria is suffering from endometriosis and is a carrier of a genetic defect, a balanced translocation in the chromosome 18, which could be transmitted to her baby.
Her AMH (anti-mullerian hormone) level was quiet low, which makes it difficult for her to get pregnant naturally, especially as the quality of eggs kept decreasing due to her age. Therefore, the couple had already decided that an egg-donation treatment would be the best option for them.
IVF Spain is specialised in complex cases such as recurrent miscarriages, implantation failure, immunological and genetic problems which affect conception. We also have an excellent egg-donation programme that has its own anonymous donor pool with more than 500 young, healthy women from different nationalities, including European, Asian and Middle-Eastern origin, so we are sure there won’t be any waiting list.
With the help of an egg-donation treatment, our fertility journey came to a happy ending – we couldn’t be happier
Furthermore, this helps us to ensure that both donors and recipients share the maximum physical similarity, required by Spanish legislation.
“For us, each patient is unique and we take all the time it takes to examine every single factor that could stop a woman from achieving a pregnancy and giving birth to a healthy child,” says Dr Jon Aizpurua, founder of the international fertility clinic IVF Spain Alicante.
Therefore, the first consultation plays an essential part in the whole process. We prepare thoroughly with a complete anamnesis and medical tests. The clinic has three fully equipped laboratories to carry out examinations such as an advanced spermogram with DNA fragmentation and apoptosis, for example, during the consultation. This way we are able to make a diagnosis, based on the outcome of tests, and prepare a treatment plan.
By the end of their first visit, patients will have met the whole team who will take care of them and of their embryos. The patients know their diagnosis, understand their fertility options and leave the clinic with a treatment plan.
“The previous clinic we went to in Cyprus let us down, and didn’t live up to our hopes and expectations. Here it has been excellent. IVF Spain is first class all the way. The communication has been so clear the whole time. It has been such a great experience coming here,” says Ross.
We at IVF Spain believe that communication is key to be able to support our patients at all times and establish a very close doctor-patient relationship based on full understanding and trust.
By providing an environment in which patients feel safe and confident, we contribute to their emotional wellbeing as well as to their treatment’s success. We monitor their treatment at home, from Alicante, from the very beginning until after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
“Many women who come here place their last hope in us,” says Dr Aizpurua. “With the latest cutting-edge technology, IVF Spain is one of the fertility centres with the highest success rates in Europe, and we were happy to be able to help this lovely couple and be part of their journey.”
A smile on her face, Victoria has the last word: “With the help of an egg-donation treatment, our fertility journey came to a happy ending. I got pregnant and here we are today with our little sunshine Rex. Thank you IVF Spain – we really couldn’t be happier.”
For more information, visit ivf-spain.com
