A woman who sold her house to pay for donor sperm and two rounds of IVF has shared her delight at welcoming a daughter.
Daisy De, 27, of London, was told she had a 0.1 per cent chance of conceiving, even with IVF, after endometriosis affected her fertility.
However Daisy, who works as a nanny, was determined to do ‘whatever it takes’ to become a mother and decided to sell her home in Leicester in order to fund her journey.
She paid a total of £50,000 for a sperm donor and two rounds of IVF and fell pregnant last year. The NHS wouldn’t fund her treatment because of her age and marital status, she said.
Daisy De, 27, of London, was told she had a 0.1 per cent chance of conceiving, even with IVF, after endometriosis affected her fertility. But she welcomed daughter Hope after spending £50,000 on donor sperm and two rounds of IVF. Pictured, mother and daughter at home
Her daughter Hope was born in June and Daisy said she ‘couldn’t imagine life without her’.
‘I will always remember the day she was born, it was truly magical,’ she said. ‘My best friend Anna, 31, was my birthing partner and we both laughed and cried as we admired my little beauty.’
Daisy was first diagnosed with endometriosis, a painful disorder in which tissue from the lining of her womb wrapped itself around her organs, aged 17.
She underwent five surgeries to remove it and preserve her fertility but was delivered a devastating blow in 2016 when she was told she would not conceive on her own and that the chances were slim, even with IVF.
Daisy, who works as a nanny, was determined to do ‘whatever it takes’ to become a mother and decided to sell her home in Leicester in order to fund her journey. Pictured, with her positive pregnancy result
Daisy was thrilled to discover she was expecting a baby and had best friend Anna, 31, by her side as her birthing partner (right)
Daisy was struck by how much hair her daughter Hope had when she was born. Pictured, Daisy in hospital with her newborn daughter
Dr Venkataraman of the Harley Street Fertility Clinic also revealed her egg count was low.
She said: ‘Whilst my friends worried about what to wear on the weekend, I worried “will I ever become a mum?” As a 23-year-old, I never expected to be told I am prematurely infertile.
‘I have always been maternal and knew from a young age that I wanted to be a mum. Those words made me more determined than ever. I was willing to do and pay whatever it takes.’
Daisy was unable to immediately start IVF as her ovaries were covered in cysts. The endometriosis had spread across her Fallopian tubes, vagina wall and my bowel.
She continued: ‘I knew it wasn’t going to be straight-forward but I worried for my body. It had been through so much already after being diagnosed with stage four endometriosis in 2010. I had already had five laparoscopies and the worst was yet to come.’
Daisy, pictured while pregnant, was determined to have a baby despite being told the chances were slim
Daisy with her adorable baby girl Hope, who was born in June following two rounds of IVF
Despite having her first egg collection in March 2016, Daisy was unable to go ahead with the treatment until she had another surgery so the embryos were frozen. Pictured, with Hope
Daisy didn’t waste time and began searching for a sperm donor from London Sperm Bank. She was able to fund the treatment by using the money from her home she sold in Leicester in 2010.
She said: ‘I didn’t want to rush into a relationship for the sake of it. I knew I was capable of raising a baby on my own so dating was at the very bottom of my to-do list. However, it was quite strange choosing a donor as I never imaged my life to be like this.
‘My previous relationships were with black men so the main characteristics I was looking for was black heritage and over 6ft with a great educational background.’
Despite having her first egg collection in March 2016, Daisy was unable to go ahead with the treatment until she had another surgery so the embryos were frozen.
In May, she had another collection and five eggs were frozen. In August, she had her sixth laparoscopy and things sadly took a turn for the worst as her left ovary became stuck to her bowel.
Daisy said she already can’t imagine life without her beautiful 14-week-old daughter Hope
Daisy struggled to conceive after being diagnosed with endometriosis as a teenager. Pictured, with her adorable daughter Hope
In February 2017, Daisy’s left ovary was removed followed by another laparoscopy.
She adds: ‘I was willing to do whatever it takes to have a baby, even if it meant another surgery. It was one thing after the other until October 2018 – I had my final laparoscopy and I was told the next surgery will be a hysterectomy.
‘I was now running out of time and options. The odds were against me but I had to stay positive.’
In June 2019, she was set to go ahead with her first round of IVF which sadly failed.
She said: ‘Weirdly, I had a feeling it wouldn’t work so I wasn’t too upset. I remained hopeful and used a different sperm bank in America called Xytex. I had a good feeling straight away as I was able to see pictures of the donors which was much more personable.
‘I chose someone that I would be drawn to if I had seen him in person, he had a nice smile and was smart.’
Daisy underwent her first round of IVF in June 2019 but it failed. Hope was born after a second successful round
Adorable Hope, pictured, now 14 weeks old, was conceived using donor sperm from a US bank
Daisy said she had always wanted to become a mother and was ready to pay whatever was needed
The following month Daisy had another egg collection and only one was retrieved and frozen.
She said: ‘I was so happy that things were finally falling into place. I couldn’t wait to become someone’s mummy. I had to take oestrogen tablets for a few months to thicken the lining of my uterus before the embryo was transferred in September 2019.’
Daisy was delighted when a pregnancy test revealed two lines.
Throughout the nine months, Daisy didn’t feel the need for a boyfriend as she was ‘lucky’ enough to be surrounded by friends and family.
‘I decided if I have a girl she will be called Hope when I was diagnosed with infertility at the beginning of my journey,’ Daisy continued. ‘As I needed hope to keep on persevering.’
Daisy had an elective C-section at 38 weeks and six days and Hope was born in June.
Daisy said: ‘The first thing I noticed was her thick dark hair – it looked like she had a wig stuck on her head! I couldn’t stop running my fingers through her hair and kissing her.
‘Even though I had seen a photo of the donor, I couldn’t envision how she will look as I don’t know him or his mannerisms. Anna spotted she has the same chin and lips as me and I agreed. She is a dream and makes all of those years of pain totally worth it.
‘I couldn’t imagine my life without her.’
Daisy looks forward to a hysterectomy in 2021 to reduce the pain.
Dr Venkataraman said: ‘Daisy’s case was clinically challenging and required perseverance from all of us, especially Daisy herself. Owing to her endometriosis and low ovarian reserve, she had a just a 0.1 per cent chance of success.
‘Without IVF, the chances of Daisy conceiving naturally were essentially nil. However, we tackled all of those challenges and won! Little Hope is proof that you should never give up.’