Baby joy for testicular cancer survivor
A Bristol man who has survived testicular cancer says he owes the joys of fatherhood to the miracle of modern medical science which allowed him to freeze his sperm before he had even met the woman who would eventually become the mother of his baby.
When Simon and Sarah Dix met in 2019, Simon soon shared with her that the successful treatment he had received for testicular cancer a year earlier had been preceded by surgical extraction and freezing of his sperm to give him the opportunity to have a family later on, should he so wish.
Sarah Dix said: “I was 34 and Simon was 40 when we married in 2022 and we knew we wanted a family, and that we’d have to follow the IVF route, so we set the wheels in motion as soon as we could.
“Because of Simon’s history we were eligible for NHS funding, and Simon’s frozen sperm were being stored at Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine, so that was the obvious place for us to go for treatment.
“We were also encouraged because BCRM has one of the best success rates with IVF in the UK, and because we knew someone who had been successfully treated there.
“I’m delighted to say our confidence was justified because our very first round of treatment gave us the beautiful baby we were hoping for.
“I’d started taking the IVF medication after Christmas 2023 and had my egg collection at the end of January, with four eggs retrieved and two viable embryos resulting.
“I was really anxious about having the transfer back in, but everyone was so reassuring and comforting.
“We were absolutely thrilled when my pregnancy test was positive, and the memory of our seven-week scan will always stay with me. It was just amazing to see our baby – really quite overwhelming.
“Finley was due on 25 October, but I was admitted to hospital at 36 weeks because I needed to be monitored for high blood pressure, and on 14 October I was rushed to the delivery suite for an emergency C section because he had the umbilical cord around his neck.
“Thankfully all went well after that - although he was in NICU for 10 days - but I was still able to breastfeed.
“Finley is nearly 18 months old now, and he brings Simon and me so much joy.
“He is such a happy, cheeky little chap. Simon’s always joking with him and making him laugh.
“We’re lucky to have family living within easy reach of our home in Congresbury – both my mum and Simon’s parents live quite close by, so we spend a lot of time with them and just enjoying simple activities like going on family walks.
“We know how lucky we are and have already said a big ‘thank you’ to BCRM. We’re hoping our story will also help and be of benefit to future parents and patients.”
BCRM www.fertilitybristol.com is the longest established fertility clinic in Bristol, helping people from throughout the South West and Wales with fertility treatment for both private and NHS patients. The clinic is involved in innovative research and has one of the best success rates with IVF and other fertility treatments in the UK.
