Louise Brown is 36, Bourn Hall remembers IVF pioneers
25 Jul 2014
As Louise Brown, the world’s first “test-tube” baby, celebrates her 36th birthday, Bourn Hall Clinic remembers how the work of its founders made her birth possible and how IVF continues to give hope to millions of people across the world.
In the video opposite, Grace MacDonald, mother of the world’s first IVF boy, Alastair MacDonald, shares her story. Determined to have a child, she contacted Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe after she read of their groundbreaking work in the Lancet. She tells of how she discovered that she was to be the second women in the world to have an IVF baby.
Grace’s personal experience echoes that of so many childless couples. Steptoe and Edwards were dedicated to their cause and the successful birth of first Louise Brown and then Alastair showed for the first time that it is possible to overcome infertility.
Their legacy is described best by Edwards’ daughter, Jenny Joy who says of her father: “He’d definitely like to be remembered for all those babies, born to couples who want them more than anything in the world.”
If you are unable to watch the video in the player above you can view it on YouTube here.
Find out how can we help you
Book a consultation call with our team to find out how Bourn Hall can help you on your fertility journey
Latest articles
Does your company have a Fertility Policy?
Your boss may be the last person you want to tell about your fertility problems…
Bedfordshire mum’s baby joy after ‘grief cycle’ of infertility
“It was like a grief cycle every month, it was so draining,” says Megan from…
Suffolk mum shares her story of joy following the ‘trauma of infertility’
“I still feel emotional when I think back to how sad I felt when we…
Patient reviews you can trust
Genuine experiences from real patients. See why so many trust us with their fertility care.
“We went to an open evening at Bourn Hall Wickford and came away feeling really positive about the place. The staff were really friendly and the presentation was clear about the statistics regarding success rates and live birth rates; their data was very transparent. We came away feeling like we would really be looked after.”
Katy and Leigh are parents to Charlie after IVF
Patient 2023
“We chose to make an appointment at Bourn Hall Wickford because of the favourable reviews. When we got there and met the staff they were just so lovely, making us feel welcome and explaining to us what tests would need to be done and what our options were; we just thought ‘yes, let’s get the ball rolling!”
Jess and Fran are mums to Nathan after IVF with donor sperm
Patient 2023