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Louise BrownThe first test tube baby.
Date of Birth: 25.07.1978
Country:  USA |
Content:
The First "Test Tube Baby"
Lesley and John Brown became the first couple to successfully conceive a child through in vitro fertilization (IVF). This procedure, now considered well-known and widely practiced, has been used by about 6 million people since the Browns underwent it. However, being the parents of the world's first IVF baby was not an easy journey for them. Their daughter, Louise Brown, is now 37 years old. At first glance, she appears to be just like any other British woman of her age. However, Louise is quite extraordinary. She was born as a result of the first successful IVF operation in the world. Her birth caused quite a stir, with religious leaders voicing their opposition to such interventions in natural processes. People were genuinely afraid of the birth of "Frankenbabies," expecting unnatural results from the artificial procedure. Nevertheless, Lesley and John Brown did not succumb to the pressure and their success paved the way for millions of future individuals who wished to conceive through IVF. Both Lesley and John have passed away, but the procedure they pioneered remains relevant to this day.
Louise Brown's Life
Louise Brown turned 37 on July 25th. Soon, her autobiographical work, "My Life As The World's First Test Tube Baby," will be published. The book will reveal many interesting aspects of the life of an unusual child and the difficulties that Louise faced due to her unconventional status. According to Louise, her parents had to deal with unpleasant manifestations of fear from the people around them after her birth. Lesley Brown received bags of hate mail, threatening notes, letters stained with blood, broken test tubes, and even plastic embryos. The technological breakthrough of that time, which was the IVF operation, sparked interest, curiosity, and in some cases, outright aggression. An unknown person, for example, sent a mocking homemade "guide" to Lesley on how to handle "test tube children." The advice included keeping the child in an aquarium or a toilet tank. The whole message, presented in a small box resembling a jewelry container, was filled with blood-like red liquid. It also contained a blood-stained "guarantee" for a test tube child. This not only looked horrifying due to the blood and unpleasant advice, but it also made Lesley realize that someone mentally unstable had put so much time and effort into creating such an offensive message. For a while, Lesley feared for her own safety and the safety of her child, so she was cautious and vigilant during outings.
However, Lesley also received more positive messages. She gained admirers and new acquaintances who greatly admired her courage. As one would expect, many of those who wrote to her were women unable to conceive children naturally. A woman from Christchurch, New Zealand, shared her unsuccessful operations and desperate desire to become a mother. Heather Spackman from Australia predicted the aggression and criticism that the Browns would face and hoped that her letter would at least partially counteract the general hostility. Thanks to the efforts of Lesley and her husband, these women were given a new unexpected chance. Although not all of them could expect an immediate addition to their families, by now, approximately 6 million successful IVF operations have been performed. Lesley became the first "successful" patient of the IVF pioneers, Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards. The clinic where Louise Brown was "created," Bourn Hall in Cambridgeshire, is still in operation. Collaborating with the University of Cambridge and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Centre, they continue to actively develop the scientific foundations and principles of IVF. Robert Edwards was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2010 for his achievements in the development of IVF techniques.
The Brown Family
Technically, the term "test tube baby" is incorrect when referring to Louise Brown, as the artificial fertilization was carried out in a Petri dish, not a test tube. The question of creating life partially through artificial means is not the only moral dilemma associated with the Brown family. Lesley and John were well aware that the procedure they were offered was experimental. However, the doctors never informed them that no successful IVF procedure had been performed before. Later, this withholding of information became the subject of serious discussions regarding the concept of informed consent. Louise was the first, but not the last child for Lesley and John Brown. Four years after her birth, they had another child, Natalie Brown, who was also conceived through IVF. Natalie became the 40th successful result of the operation. In May 1999, Natalie gave birth to her own child, Casey, becoming the first IVF child to give birth naturally. Later, Natalie had three more children, with the youngest born in August 2013. John Brown passed away in 2006, and Lesley Brown died on June 6, 2012, from complications after a gallbladder infection. She was 68 years old at the time of her death.
