Fenland newly-weds in IVF crowdfunding bid - they need £10,000 because Cambridgeshire does not offer it
Young sweethearts Rebecca and Lee Millard are hoping the people of Fenland will rally to help them achieve their dream of having a family.
The 20-year-olds who tied the knot in August have launched a fundraising effort to help pay for IVF treatment after being dealt a devastating blow just weeks before their fairytale wedding.
Rebecca, whose family live in March including her grandmother Via Batterham, and Lee, whose family is from Wimblington, were told their dreams of having a baby were unlikely to come true without specialist treatment.
She said: “Originally we thought it would be me that would make it hard for us to have a baby, as I have ovary problems. I was diagnosed with an apolycystic ovary when I was about 16 and was also told I had a dermoid cyst on the other.
“So we knew it was going to be difficult for me to fall pregnant. But then just before our wedding Lee was diagnosed with a genetic disorder, which means his Vas Diferens is missing - that’s the tube that carries the sperm.
“This was a massive shock and means we cannot conceive naturally. Unfortunately Cambridgeshire NHS don’t fund IVF treatment, so we will have to pay for it ourselves. It will cost around £10,000, which is a huge amount of money for us to find.
“We have put our house buying plans on hold and have already spent around £3,000 on treatment and tests for Lee, which has shown he can father a child, which is a great result, but it will have to be through IVF. We are living with parents to help save money towards the cost.”
The couple who met at school and have been together properly for five years are hoping to start their first IVF cycle in the New Year.
To help keep costs down, and to help others who are also struggling to conceive, Rebecca will be donating some of her eggs.
She said: “It will save us some money, but more importantly it will hopefully help other couples who are in a similar situation to us.
“We originally thought we might need an egg donor ourselves, so it is great that we have been told that isn’t necessary and we can now help others.
“I do feel it is unfair that you can’t have at least one cycle of IVF for free in Cambridgeshire, while in other places people can have three free attempts. It is especially sad as Cambridgeshire was the first area to have an established IVF clinic – Bourne Hall – which is where we are being treated.
“We know it is going to be hard, and it might not even work the first time, but we always dreamed of having a family. I work in my mum’s home-based nursery school – Sally Day Care in Whittlesey –so I’m surrounded by children and babies all day.
“I also know we are young, but we decided to start straight away because it may take time before we have a baby of our own.”
The couple have set up a Gofundme page and are hoping it will be given a real boost this weekend when local music event organiser Colin Martin hosts a Pink Tribute night for them
Friday’s event is at Childers in Whittlesey from 8pm, tickets are £11 for adults and £6 for under 16s. They are available on the door or by calling Colin on 0752664949.
The evening will include a raffle with lots of donated prizes.
