 News
30th June 2008
Baby girl for couple who advertised for egg donors
on London busesA couple who advertised for an egg donor on buses across
London after years of failed IVF have welcomed a baby girl. Linda Weeks
and her husband Richard made headlines across the world last year when they took
the extraordinary step of advertising for an egg donor on buses across London.
To the couple's joy and amazement, it worked - and a year later they are
the proud parents of Katy, born on June 3 at 5lb 11oz. Yesterday, speaking
for the first time since the birth, Mrs Weeks said no words could describe her
gratitude to the woman who came forward to donate eggs. "Thank you
seems inadequate," she said. "We will be grateful for ever. She
is fantastically generous. It is such a wonderful thing to do." Mr
and Mrs Weeks, from Maidstone in Kent, will not meet the anonymous donor. Mrs
Weeks, now 55, said: "It would be wonderful to know what made her come forward
but we will never know. Mrs Weeks, a librarian, and 50-year-old computer
programmer Mr Weeks, spent £2,000 placing the ads for a month on 50 buses as a
last ditch attempt to have a family after spending more than £21,000 on
failed IVF. They showed a photograph of them on their wedding day in March
1993 and read: "We'll never be Mummy and Daddy unless a wonderful woman aged
36 or under can help us by donating some of her eggs." Mrs Weeks had
previously tried placing less detailed adverts in newsagents' windows, but none
yielded a suitable donor. The ads on buses generated a great deal of media
attention, however, which helped prompt a donor to come forward. Some 96
women expressed an interest but only one went ahead last year and Mrs Weeks was
treated at the London Fertility Centre and the city's Logan Centre. It
was just in time. Although there is no official age limit for IVF in Britain,
doctors do not treat those over 55 and the NHS will not fund treatment over the
age of 39. Mrs Weeks' case has renewed calls for egg donors to be paid
so more might come forward. She added: "It is still hard to believe
that Katy is really ours. It is just wonderful. "It is the best news
that we could ever have." Where to next? | 
