11 September 2018
Last week (September 2018), BBC presenter Rachael Bland’s fight to overcome her two-year breast cancer battle sadly came to an end.
She was only 40 years old. She leaves behind her husband Steve and their young son Freddie. She also leaves behind four frozen embryos, following her battle to preserve her fertility.
Rachael shared her story on her blog Big C Little Me. She wrote compellingly about cancer and fertility saying on 19 February this year “Babies are probably not the first topic that springs to mind when you think about cancer but they were one of the first things I thought about after my diagnosis. It’s another aspect of getting cancer that’s unique to being diagnosed when you’re young – the issue of what to do if you’ve not started or finished having a family”.
Rachael’s story will strike a chord with many women. She went to great lengths to preserve her fertility, even delaying chemotherapy to undergo an IVF cycle all over Christmas. She wrote on her blog “There are so many emotions to process when you’re first diagnosed and thinking about IVF as well might seem like a bridge too far. But my advice would be to ask about fertility preservation, as you can give yourself some insurance pre-chemo but afterwards it might be a struggle. You see, cancer treatment plays havoc with your fertility. Chemotherapy targets fast-dividing cells, both the good and the bad and some of the fastest dividing are of course in your ovaries. As a result, chemotherapy can leave you infertile and going into early menopause. especially if you’re knocking on 40 like I was”.
Rachael’s four frozen embryos offered hope of another much wanted child had she overcome her battle with cancer. However, in undergoing IVF Rachael would also have completed consent forms at her UK fertility clinic stating her wishes for the storage and use of her embryos during her lifetime and in the event of her death. Depending upon her completion of these forms and her wishes, there might still be the possibility for her husband Steve to complete their family using these embryos in fertility treatment and surrogacy.
As a fertility lawyer I have worked with many women over the last ten years who have been diagnosed with cancer and other serious medical conditions which have impaired or taken away their fertility and ability to carry a pregnancy. I have also worked with many women who have struggled to build a family in their late 30’s, 40’s and 50’s and seen the heartache caused by their diminishing fertility rates and unsuccessful fertility treatment cycles. As women increasingly delay starting a family into their 30’s and beyond, we need to do much more to proactively manage women’s fertility and its preservation. We need better education and more debate and awareness so women can make informed decisions and avoid crisis management.
You can read my further comment about fertility law and fertility preservation arising from Rachael’s story in my article in Female First.
Need an expert fertility lawyer or family lawyer? If you would like to discuss your situation or you would like specialist legal parentage, fertility and family law advice contact Louisa Ghevaert by email louisa@louisaghevaertassociates.co.uk or by telephone +44 (0)20 7965 8399.
