babble » blogs » Strollerderby
Strollerderby
Britain’s ‘Baby Lottery:’ Emotional Cruelty Can Be Yours for the Price of a $32 Ticket
Dangle the hope of a million dollars in front of someone's face, but not the hope of a very real baby
If you’ve ever struggled to conceive, then you don’t need to be told that it’s an emotional and heart-wrenching time. Wondering if you’ll ever give birth to the healthy baby that you’ve always dreamed of having can leave you thinking of little else.
That’s why my heart is breaking a little for those in the U.K. who might be trying to get pregnant without much success. A charity called To Hatch is launching a monthly contest beginning July 30 in which a $32 ticket will make you eligible to win $25,000 worth of personalized fertility treatments. The contest is open to everyone — single people, gay, elderly, straight and couples.
But like counting on winning the lotto jackpot to change your life, what is a contest like this really doing to everyone who won’t win (which is, realistically speaking, everyone) but enters anyway? Does someone going through the emotional trauma of infertility really need a contest like this to raise and then dash their hopes yet again?
Included in the prize each month is a stay in a luxury hotel, a chauffeur-driven ride to the treatment facility and the option of reproductive surgery, donor eggs, sperm or a surrogate birth if the IVF treatments fail to produce a pregnancy.
Understandably, some ethical and medical groups call the contest inappropriate, with the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority saying it “trivializes what is for many people a central part of their lives.”
To Hatch’s founder, however, argues the point is to create “the ultimate wish list” for people trying to conceive children naturally.
I don’t know that I’d call the IVF lotto unethical, but I would call it cruel. You’re not offering people money, you’re offering them an actual life, and as most parents will tell you, that’s more important and precious than anything money can buy. While the winning person each month will undoubtedly be thrilled to get the chance to undergo costly IVF treatments at no charge, can you imagine being one of the losers?
Would you enter a baby lottery like the one in Britain? Do you applaud the charity’s efforts, or do you think it causes more emotional pain than it’s worth?
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Go Back To Strollerderby
2 Comments
Meagan H commented on Jul 11 11 at 1:28 pmI think its admirable actually IVF is a luxury many will never be able to afford this gives people a chance they would never get otherwise. A lottery simply means every person has an equal chance at winning. It comes with the chance of losing yes but most people who would use something like this wouldn’t really have anything to lose. Heck the odds of this working are probably a bout as good as the ones for IVF itself.
meme commented on Aug 09 11 at 10:12 pmI don’t have a problem with this at all. I went through IVF, and would have totally taken a chance on winning. And if I lost, it wouldn’t crush me. I would know the chances were against me winning.
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
Lori Garcia 
Joslyn Gray 
Amber Doty 
Julianna Miner 
Monica Bielanko 
Sierra Black 
Meredith Carroll 
Carolyn Castiglia 
Sunny Chanel 
Madeline Holler 
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.
2