REAL LIFE
Carolyne Ness feared she’d never have the child she’d always longed for – then a last-ditch attempt made her dream come true…
When Carolyne Ness plays with her five-yea-rold son Javed in the park, she can’t believe how lucky she is. Following more than two decades of fertility struggles, Carolyne thought she’d never experience becoming a mum.
But after flying over 6,000 miles to a medical centre in India to undergo embryo adoption – which uses an egg and sperm from younger donors – she was blessed with her first child at the age of 58.
Carolyne, now 64, says, “I’d always wanted to be a mum, but I thought I’d left it too late. Embryo adoption was my last chance, and I couldn’t believe it when I found out I was pregnant two weeks later. It was a miracle. Javed has made my life complete.”
DISAPPOINTMENT
After spending her 20s travelling, Carolyne returned to her hometown of Fife, Scotland, at 30 and met a man she later married. While trying to conceive, the couple were eventually told they had unexplained infertility.
Carolyne recalls, “It was a crushing disappointment that tore us apart. I considered IVF, but as our relationship was already on the rocks, I didn’t want to bring a child into that set-up. We divorced after 10 years together.”
In 2009, Carolyne, then 40, went to Australia for a holiday. After meeting a man there, she relocated to Sydney, getting a job as a receptionist, but sadly children weren’t meant to be again.
She says, “He wasn’t keen on IVF and the process in Australia was more complicated. I also considered adoption, but it was difficult, expensive and draining. My relationship didn’t work out, but I loved Australia and decided to stay.
LIMITED OPTIONS
“After that, I didn’t meet anyone I could imagine starting a family with and, for a while, I believed I wouldn’t cope as a single mum. I was really happy for friends when they had babies, but I couldn’t help feeling envious. Although the longing never abated, I was happy – but I knew I was running out of time.”
Carolyne started doing research into embryo adoption around 2011 and looked into the process. Due to her age, there were limited options, but she managed to find the International Fertility Centre in New Delhi, India, which accepted women up to the age of 58. From a list of potential donors, Carolyne, then 57, picked a 21-year-old Indian woman and a 6ft American Caucasian sperm donor with dark hair and brown eyes.
Carolyne says, “I’d never been to India, so I booked a two-week trip so that I could see the Taj Mahal and Golden Triangle. I wanted to be able to tell my child all about the adventure I’d had to bring th
