babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
A Five-Year Time Limit on Embryo Storage = Death Row?
The term “death row” in relation to stored embryos sounds like the words of an anti-abortion crusader. They’re not.
It’s just what mom Michelle Hickman calls a five-year window granted by the British government to store a couple’s embryos. After that, they say they have to be destroyed.
But Hickman, who had a medically-necessary hysterectomy after the birth of her eldest son and another child with the help of a surrogate using the embryos she stored, doesn’t think she’s done having kids. Hickman and her husband have been hoping for a family of six (two more kids to go).
But British law says embryos can only be stored for five years. Extensions are sometimes granted to women who can carry their own embryos, and Hickman has already received an extension because her hysterectomy was considering an extenuating circumstance.
A newer law, set to go into effect Oct. 1, will help women like Hickman, greatly extending the storage time for women who need to contract with a surrogate. But older embryos – like Hickman’s – haven’t been grandfathered in. So while some would-be moms are rejoicing in England, moms like Michelle Hickman are calling the next few months death row for her embryos.
Many of these women have had medical difficulties – one said she was told by her doctors NOT to try to have a baby for at least five years because of a battle with cancer. By the time she was cleared – despite her banked eggs (mixed with her husband’s sperm) – her embryos had been destroyed.
Because most couples turn to IVF as an only option to create children, the ability of a government to step in and determine a set window of time during which they can procreate seems overly intrusive. Are they next going to tell mothers and fathers who have babies the old-fashioned way that they must stop making whoopie at a certain age, lest they run past the window?
I’d assume there are costs involved here, but I’d wager parents would be willing to pay to protect their embryos.
Protecting these embryos as life harkens too close to starting back at square one in the abortion debate. BUT are embryos not property of the people who donated their gametes? As a mother, shouldn’t I have ultimate say over what happens to my genetic material?
Related Posts:
Go Back To Strollerderby
8 Comments
PlumbLucky commented on Jul 07 09 at 3:38 pmCritical missing info: who is paying for the storage? If it is the gov’t, sorry, they get a say. If not, they really shouldn’t have this statute.
Anyone have any idea if there is an issue with degradation of the embryos over time?
jeannesager commented on Jul 07 09 at 3:55 pmPlumbLucky – I agree, actually – that’s why I wonder why parents can’t be given the option of paying for the storage.
PlumbLucky commented on Jul 08 09 at 8:46 amJeanne – doesn’t Britain pay for a couple rounds of varying fertility treatments, including IVF? That may have something to do with it (theory being it not fair for someone who can pay for storage use gov’t paid IVF/whatevs with older than 5 yo embryos while someone who can’t pay for storage still have to abide by the 5 year rule).
Dawn commented on Jul 10 09 at 5:16 pmPlumbLucky & Jeannesager: The government do not pay for the storage. That is certainly the couples responsibility. There is also no issue to do with the degradation of embryos beyond 5 years. It is purely a discrimination against people who need to use a surrogate, an argument that has been over-ruled by new legislation but who government refuse to let apply to all existing embryos. Please contact your MP if you feel strongly about this as it WILL help in changing the law.
Michelle Hickman commented on Jul 15 09 at 6:43 amWe have never been entitled to free IVF treatment on the NHS(many are excluded). We have paid all costs ourselves. More information can be found on our website – http://www.a-little-wish.co.uk/content/campaigns-embryo-gamete-storage.aspx There is also a petition to sign and for those that are will, yes contact your MP. There is a way to save all the embryos NOT only ours, BUT it requires parliament to do it. They are reluctant.
PS medically-necessary hysterectomy – haha NO I refused consent for it, I did not need it medically and I did not want it! *a little wish* gives information to reduce the chances of it happening to you!
PlumbLucky commented on Jul 15 09 at 11:54 amMichelle Hickman – thanks for the update and information. Both MH and Dawn reference an MP…what is this?
jeannesager commented on Jul 15 09 at 1:45 pmThanks for the update Michelle! Knowing you paid for this yourself puts me that much further into your court. Good luck!
Michelle Hickman commented on Jan 08 11 at 3:07 pmThanks Jaennie, however as the NHS took my fertility without consent, or medical necessity and I said NO to a hysterectomy and so it was done illegally, should we really have had to fund it?
As the NHS forced me into an extraction (that they happily paid for) as they lied to me and told me if I gave birth I would murder my child.
As the NHS forced me into a hysterectomy (that they happily paid for) as they lied to me and told me that they would only put a stitch or two in the uterus, why should they not pay to make up for breaking the law? And why are people happy to pay for the above 2 operations that I did not want or need but not for IVF?
Add your take:
Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.
Comments are delayed up to 15 minutes
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
Wendy Michaels 
Rebecca Odes 
Danielle Smith 
Danielle Sullivan 
Katherine Stone 
The Walt Disney Company supports Babble as a platform dedicated to honest, engaged, informed, intelligent and open conversation about parenting. However, the opinions expressed on this site are those of individual parents/writers and do not reflect the views of Disney. In addition, content provided on this site is for entertainment or informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or safety advice.
8