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Cathy Garvey and Dan BowleyPatient with infertility
Country:
 Great Britain |
Content:
- Kathy Garvey and Dan Bowley: A Journey to Parenthood
- The Intralipid Treatment
- A Dream Wedding and a Precious Son
- A Long Journey with Infertility
- The Unconventional Treatment
- A Joyful Outcome
Kathy Garvey and Dan Bowley: A Journey to Parenthood
Kathy Garvey and her partner Dan Bowley from Birmingham, UK, spent six years and £23,000 on fertility treatments before finally welcoming their little miracle into the world. Unable to conceive naturally, Kathy and Dan endured four failed attempts at in vitro fertilization, one of which tragically resulted in a miscarriage. Doctors discovered that Kathy's body had a unique "immunity" to pregnancy, where her immune system would attack any embryos placed in her uterus. However, an innovative treatment using a medication called 'Intralipid' helped doctors solve this unusual problem.
The Intralipid Treatment
The 'Intralipid' treatment, a recently introduced therapy in the UK, consists of lipid emulsions for parenteral nutrition. It contains purified soybean oil, egg yolk phospholipids, glycerin, and water, and is administered intravenously. The doctors believed that some women's bodies develop a true immunity to pregnancy. When the embryo attaches to the uterus and begins to develop, the woman's immune system goes on the offensive, viewing it as harmful cells or a virus. Intralipid neutralizes these "killer cells" that prevent the mother from carrying the fetus, and thanks to this treatment, Kathy and Dan welcomed their son Joseph on July 8, 2014, weighing 3.571 kg.
A Dream Wedding and a Precious Son
At the age of 43, Kathy Garvey, who works as a human resources administrator, is still unmarried. Although Kathy and Dan wanted to get married, they also wanted to have a beautiful wedding for themselves and their guests, which required a significant amount of money. However, they had to postpone their plans due to the expenses of fertility treatments. Nevertheless, Joseph is a wonderful baby, and he is worth every penny his parents spent. Now, Kathy and Dan can afford to have the wedding they dreamed of, and Joseph will be the honored guest at his parents' wedding.
A Long Journey with Infertility
Kathy Garvey knew that she would likely face difficulties conceiving since she was previously informed of a blockage in her fallopian tubes. She spent two years attempting to conceive naturally before undergoing two rounds of IVF with Dan, a retail sales manager, both of which were unsuccessful. In January of the previous year, the couple visited the CARE Fertility Centre, a clinic for infertility patients, where experts discovered that Kathy was one of the women whose bodies had an immunity to pregnancy. It is possible that conception occurred multiple times within her uterus, but the killer cells never allowed a successful pregnancy. All the previous IVF treatments turned out to be a waste of money.
The Unconventional Treatment
In November of the previous year, Kathy and Dan returned to the clinic and started an unconventional treatment. The doctors decided to tackle Kathy's immunity to pregnancy by introducing 'Intralipid' into her body, which allowed the embryo to successfully implant in her uterus. Kathy underwent one course of treatment during fertilization and a second course when the pregnancy test showed a positive result. Alongside this treatment, patients are recommended to take steroids, which continue to suppress the immune system, and blood-thinning medications to prevent the formation of blood clots that could hinder embryo implantation.
A Joyful Outcome
The first screening showed that everything was developing as it should, and the baby's heartbeat was strong. Kathy and Dan couldn't help but burst into tears of happiness. Words cannot describe the emotions they felt when their son was born.
