A woman has spoken of her joy after she won a court case to use frozen embryos, created using her dead husband’s sperm, to have a child.
Samantha Jefferies, 42, whose husband Clive, 51, served in the Royal Army Medical Corps, had been undergoing fertility treatment when he died of a brain haemorrhage in 2014.
However the fertility clinic changed this to just two years, meaning Jefferies had missed the deadline. This was reportedly caused by an “administrative error”.
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Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Samantha Jefferies leaving the High Court in London, after she won a High Court declaration that gives her a "last chance" to have her late husband's child.
On Wednesday 28 September 2016, a senior family judge ruled the amendment by the clinic “invalid” and said the embryos can still be stored and used.
“After two years of hell, I have finally been granted the chance to use the embryos Clive and I so badly wanted,” Jefferies wrote in The Sunday Telegraph.
“I think about how this baby might look like Clive, and share his good looks, his fitness, his love of the outdoors.”
Jefferies was told the embryos could be stored until 11 August 2023.
She said the prospect of raising children alone was “daunting”, but she would ensure they would be well looked after and she would tell them about their “brave, gentle father”.
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Jonathan Brady/PA Wire
Praising the judge’s decision, Jefferies said it was an “overwhelmingly fantastic – just brilliant, amazing” outcome, according to The Guardian.
She added: “It has given me faith in the law.”
Jefferies and her husband met in 1999 and married in December 2009. They were referred for NHS-funded IVF treatment in 2013 after being unable to conceive.
Three embryos were created from Jefferies’ eggs and her husband’s sperm in August 2013.
Pregnancy worries and words of comfort
I have no morning sickness! Is that bad news?(01 of10)
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You might have read things about how morning sickness signifies a healthy level of pregnancy hormones – but not having morning sickness does not mean you're lacking! Although many women suffer with it (and 'suffer' really is the word), many other women do not. Some women have it one pregnancy, but not in another. Attend all your usual checks and count yourself as one of the lucky ones! (credit:Alamy )
I drank before I knew I was pregnant, I might have harmed the baby(02 of10)
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This happens to many, many expectant mums, and it's unlikely to be a cause for concern at all. Mention it to your GP/midwife, and just keep off the booze now, until you can enjoy a celebratory glass of fizz when your bundle arrives. (credit:Alamy )
I'll lose the baby(03 of10)
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It's estimated about one in five pregnancies ends in early miscarriage, and it's thought most of those occur simply because the foetus wasn't developing properly. It does happen, but don't let it rule your thoughts because the vast majority of pregnancies do succeed. Try not to worry and remember that once you're into the second trimester, the chances of miscarriage is dramatically reduced. (credit:Alamy )
My baby might not be 'perfect'(04 of10)
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It's estimated that one in 16 babies in the UK is born with a birth defect – but this figure refers to all birth defects, and many are mild and can be treated. So it's likely your baby won't have a birth defect, and even if they do, they will be perfect in their own way – remember support is available for every eventuality. Take your folic acid and attend your antenatal screening appointments. (credit:Alamy )
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I might have to have a c-section(06 of10)
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I won't be able to cope during labour(07 of10)
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Labour will humiliating (will I poo on the bed?!)(08 of10)
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I don't know how to be a mum(09 of10)
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I'm worried about gaining all that weight(10 of10)
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