| Give the gift of life this Easter - 25/03/2008 |
A Colchester-based fertility clinic is appealing for eggs of a different kind this Easter.
The Isis Fertility Centre, one of the region’s leading independent fertility clinics, is asking for women under the age of 35 and in good health to consider the possibility of donating their eggs to help transform the lives of infertile couples.
Isis Director Sarah Pallett said: “We currently have 44 couples on our list desperately waiting for donated eggs, which is why we are making this special Easter appeal. There is a huge shortage of egg donors nationwide and for many couples this means that their dreams of having a family are never able to be fulfilled. It is obviously a big step for someone to donate their eggs, but in doing so they are giving the most generous gift anyone can ever give.”
One in six couples seeks medical help in order to achieve a pregnancy and those seeking an egg donor may do so for a number of reasons. The woman may have suffered a premature menopause, lost the use of her ovaries due to disease, surgery or the treatment of cancer, or carry inherited genetic diseases.
Isis Scientific Director Terry Leonard said: “Egg donation is obviously something which requires careful consideration and at any point in the process the donor can change her mind and withdraw. All potential egg donors attend screening and counselling appointments, and the treatment itself involves a few weeks of daily injections and several appointments for blood tests and scans prior to the actual egg retrieval.”
Isis also runs what is known as an ‘egg-sharing’ scheme. This is aimed at couples for whom the expense of fertility treatment prohibits them from treatment but who agree to ‘share’ their eggs with another couple in need of an egg donor in return for reduced treatment fees. Sarah explained: “This is a programme which has big benefits for both sets of couples. Egg donation in whatever form it takes can give unsurpassed joy to couples who might have lost all hope of ever having a family. We do hope that women who might consider donating the ‘gift of life’ will come forward and help some of our couples to achieve their dream.”
For further information contact the Isis Fertility Centre on 01206 844454. |
| Fertility babies touch hearts for Valentine’s Day - 23/02/2008 |
| Baby love is in the air today (Valentine’s Day) as a group of fertility babies and their parents get together for a very special Valentine’s Day celebration at Colchester’s only fertility centre. Isis Fertility Centre is commemorating the fifth anniversary of its very first embryo transfer at its premises at Charter Court on Severalls Business Park. The transfer which was carried out on 14 February 2003 resulted in the birth of four year old James Newhouse who was there to join in the fun with parents Alison and Ian. Mum Alison said: “It’s lovely to be back here and to see all the staff again and also to meet other parents and their children. We are so proud of James and it is amazing to think he was the very first embryo transfer at these premises.” Originally based at the Oaks Hospital, Isis is one of the region’s leading independent fertility clinics and a centre of excellence. Since it was founded in 1999 it has been responsible for the birth of hundreds of fertility babies. As well as James, ten week old Natalie Barrell one of the centre’s newest arrivals was there to celebrate together with her four and half year old sister Maddie, another Isis success story and parents Ann and Chris. Completing the quartet was Sasha Shearn, who is celebrating his fourth birthday next month. He was joined by mum and dad Elena and Matthew. Isis Scientific Director Terry Leonard said: “I can’t think of a better way of celebrating Valentine’s Day than seeing these wonderful children and their parents. All our treatments are carried out in a professional and caring environment and we like to keep in touch with our former patients. We have so enjoyed seeing James, Maddie, Sasha and Natalie and they have really touched our hearts. It’s great that they have been able to come along to celebrate this very special anniversary with us.” Isis holds regular patient open evenings for people wishing to find out more about its work. For details of the next Isis open evening or to arrange a visit please call 01206 844454. 
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| 150 ‘Fertility’ Babies Attend Launch of Zoo Sponsorship - 06/07/2007 |
| The Colchester based Isis Fertility Centre announced a 12 month sponsorship package of the Spirit of Africa Elephant Kingdom at Colchester Zoo on Saturday 2 June with a ‘Baby Party’, to which all former patients of the clinic who had successfully undergone treatment were invited. The day was a fantastic success, blessed with glorious weather and a huge turn out. Before the formal launch, nearly 200 parents and 151 children were entertained by a magician and several cartoon characters; Micky & Minnie, Bob the Builder and Tigger. Isis Medical Director, Miss Aban Kadva, welcomed everyone to the Zoo and commented on the sponsorship: “It is wonderful that so many former patients have joined us and a joy to see so many of our ‘success stories’. The purpose of today is to announce our sponsorship of the Spirit of Africa Elephant Kingdom and to celebrate our achievements at Isis. Colchester Zoo is a leader in animal breeding programmes, particularly elephants, so it was appropriate for the Isis Fertility Centre to sponsor this particular enclosure. This follows the release of the latest set of published figures for Success Rates by the HFEA. We achieved an excellent 36.7% birth rate against a national average of 28.2% for women under 35. This means that we can confidently say that Isis is one of the leading fertility clinics in East Anglia.” Anthony Tropeano, Colchester Zoo Curator, thanked Isis for their support and explained the importance of the elephant breeding programme. The sponsorship was officially launched with the cutting of a ribbon by Colchester MP, Bob Russell, and all the children were presented with a cuddly toy elephant as a reminder of the day. |
| Fertility Clinic Exceeds Expectations with NHS Pregnancy Results - 06/07/2007 |
| The Isis Fertility Centre, located in Colchester and one of the region’s leading independent fertility clinics, has achieved a 46% pregnancy rate in the first year of treating NHS patients, a result which exceeds expectations. Following an announcement by the government early in 2004 that all PCTs should offer one full cycle of IVF to couples meeting the NICE criteria, Isis was awarded a contract to provide the service to NHS patients in Mid and North East Essex. The first couples were referred to the Isis Fertility Centre in April last year and, from those couples referred up to the end of March 2006, 98 have been treated and 45 (45.9%) have a clinical pregnancy. Commonly, a fifth of couples take 12 months or more to conceive naturally and as many as 1 in 6 may need help – either medical or non-medical. Isis Medical Director, Aban Kadva, said: “We are delighted to be working closely with the PCTs in Essex to offer couples the chance to conceive and these results have exceeded our expectations. Whilst not all of our pregnancies have yet reached full term, if all goes well and they result in live births, we anticipate the figures will be above the national average. I attribute these wonderful results to the excellent facilities and our team of highly professional staff. We are a small friendly clinic and we make a point of trying to reduce the stress and worry of undergoing assisted conception treatment.” One such couple who received treatment under the NHS and who were successful were David and Shireen Reeve from Dovercourt. Commenting after the birth of their daughter, Rachana, Mrs Reeve said: “We were delighted to be referred to Isis for treatment on the NHS. The clinic was immediately welcoming, putting us at ease and answering all our questions. The staff were fantastic throughout the process and now we have a beautiful miracle baby which would not have been possible without the funding provided by our PCT and the expertise of Isis. We can’t thank everyone enough, she is our little angel from heaven.” Issued by The Isis Fertility Centre. For further information contact Simon Lamb on 01206 844454. Notes to Editors: - The 2006-2007 HFEA Guide to Infertility indicates an average successful birth rate for IVF treatment using fresh eggs in the UK of 28.2% for women under 35.
- NICE – The National Institute for Clinical Excellence – was set up as a Special Health Authority for England and Wales on 1st April 1999. As part of the NHS, its role is to provide patients, health professionals and the public with authorative, robust and reliable guidance on current “best practice”.
- The NICE Guideline recommends that couples who meet the following criteria should be offered IVF treatment under the NHS: Either
- The woman is between 23-39 years of age and
- There is an appropriate diagnosis, or unexplained infertility of at least 3 years duration, including mild endometriosis and mild semen abnormality.
Or - The woman is younger than 23 years of age and
- There is an absolute indication for IVF (for example, tubal blockage, very poor semen quality or prior to treatment for cancer)
3. Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) that form the North East and Mid Essex areas are as follows: - North East: Colchester PCT and Tendring PCT
- Mid Essex: Chelmsford PCT, Maldon & South Chelmsford PCT and Witham, Braintree & Halstead PCT
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