Jarrow woman's 'last chance' to be a mum after she suffered 12 miscarriages

Lisa Thompson, who lives in Jarrow with her partner of six years, says being a mum is ‘all she ever wanted’.

The 37-year-old became pregnant for the first time in 2010, but sadly suffered an ectopic pregnancy.

Over the last decade Lisa says she has tried everything to carry naturally, but has been through another 12 miscarriages and later had one of her fallopian tubes ‘clipped’.

She has since applied for IVF treatment on the NHS three times, but is classed as ineligible as her partner, Phil West, 53, has three children now in their 30s.

In what she saw as her ‘last chance’ to become a mum, in January she applied to become an egg donor, to subsidise some of her IVF fees and help other women in her situation.

But earlier this month she was told the cut off age is 36-years-old.

Lisa, who also has Endometriosis – a painful condition caused by small pieces of the womb lining being found outside the womb – has already undergone four operations and says she can’t cope with the ‘excruciating’ monthly pains for much longer.

She added that most of the women in her family experienced the menopause at around the age of 39.

“I was ready to give up when I got the news," said Lisa, a support worker who works with vulnerable children.

“Being a mum is all I’ve ever wanted, but I have tried everything to conceive naturally over the last 10 years and have probably spent hundreds of pounds.

"I’m not going to be able to carry any other way, the IVF is my only chance.”

Now loved ones are attempting to raise £4,000 to help cover the costs of her IVF treatment, with more than £2,500 donated since her friends set up the Go Fund Me page on Thursday, July 9.

She is hoping it will raise awareness and help other women going through the same thing.

“If I lived in Middlesbrough or Scotland I would have been eligible for IVF on the NHS because I’m not a mum,” she said.

“If it’s going to be one rule for one trust it should be the same for all of them – someone shouldn’t lose out because they live in a certain area.”

According to NHS guidance, trusts across England and Wales are working to provide the same levels of service, but the provision of IVF treatment varies across the country, and often depends on local clinical commissioning group (CCG) policies.

Lisa added: "People have been so kind it’s overwhelming, but I know times are hard so even if they could just share the page, it would help raise a bit of awareness.

"It’s too late for me but it could help other women.”

Donate at Lisa’s Go Fund Me page or via Pay Pal

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