Kate and Andy spent 5 years trying for a baby. Paying £8,000 for an egg donor was their last attempt. Then their fertility clinic sent them an email that made their world fall apart... ALICE MANN investigates
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For Kate Alves and her husband Andy, 2025 was going to be special. After five years of trying for a baby – first naturally, and more recently through IVF – the couple, both 45, had become all too familiar with the hope, then heartbreak, of failed treatment cycles and miscarriages.
A few months ago, they decided to use an egg donor. And, miracle of miracles, in November they were told by Apricity, the clinic they had entrusted with their treatment, that they had found just the woman they needed. 'I knew she was right for us because it seemed she had a very similar upbringing to me,' says Kate. 'Her favourite memories were all about her family, and it felt like she was a really kind person with strong family values, which I loved.'.
Kate and Andy could barely contain their excitement. Their donor was to begin egg harvesting treatment in January: of course there were no guarantees, but this offered fresh hope that, by the end of this year, they might have their longed-for child. So, another message from Apricity, on the Friday before Christmas, left them shattered. A curt email said the company was 'ceasing all operations' from January 1, 2025.
'At first I didn't understand it,' says Kate. 'I couldn't believe what I was reading. We'd put our faith in this clinic – we had decided this was our last try to become parents – and then we were completely in the dark at a really difficult time of year.'.