Woman wins appeal to use dead daughter's eggs

[Udayana]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36675521

I have a vague feeling this was discussed when the HFEA denied this previously, but can't see the thread now.

I just fail to understand the mentality behind this request, both of the parents (intended grandparents) and especially that of the mother prior to her death. What is the point in creating this child?

[Brownie]

Bizarre.  I wonder what the "clear evidence" is that this woman's daughter would have wanted her 60 year old mother to have her baby.  However I too ponder the mindsight of this woman, and her daughter.  It's a kind of not-letting-go which is sad.

(If fertilisation and implantation go ahead they might not work.  There's a high incidence of early miscarriage in such cases.)

[floo]

Assuming that stupid woman produces a child, she will be over 80 when it is 20, assuming she lasts that long, how mean is that? How on earth would she cope with the teenage tantrums in her 70s?

I am surprised she was given permission to use the eggs.

[Brownie]

It hasn't actually happened yet, there is many a slip between cup and lip.  Let's hope.  In the meantime it seems to me the poor woman needs some help to get over the death of her daughter.

[jeremyp]

In the meantime it seems to me the poor woman needs some help to get over the death of her daughter.

The daughter died five years ago.

[Brownie]

Even more sad, and bizarre;  though I doubt anyone gets over the death of their child, they usually learn to accommodate it.   Even if she did manage a pregnancy and gave birth to her daughter's child, it wouldn't bring back her daughter.  The eggs are getting old too.  I don't know much about these things but can eggs be kept frozen indefinitely? 

[Bubbles]

What the report says is that it was the daughters wish that her mother carry and give birth to her child.

The daughter died of bowel cancer at 28, and must have saved her eggs probably before treatment.

The mother is trying to carry out her daughters last wishes.

I feel sorry for her, with all the ageist crap and prejudice she is going to get.

For all we know she may have some younger guardians to step in and help, or to take over should anything happen to her.

Her daughter cared enough about having children to go to the bother of saving her eggs and asking her mother to do this because she was wanting a son or daughter.

Perhaps her mother was the only person she felt she could ask.

Perhaps she had no sister she could ask.



If she agreed, (and think how hard it would be to turn down a dying wish from a loved one), then she probably feels under pressure to fulfil it.

It's very sad, IMO.

It isn't ideal to be an older parent, but sometimes grandparents bring up children anyway.

One of my best friends was brought up by her grandmother rather than her natural mother who lived away.

Her grandmother did a really good job of bringing her up.

The saddest thing was her losing her grandmother as a young woman.

But that can happen with a young mum, too.

[Brownie]

It is sad Rose but if it goes ahead, it will set a precedent.  Whilst it must be difficult to refuse a dying wish, it isn't unreasonable to expect someone to say, "No", to something big like that.  Most would!  Then there's the question of the anonymous father.  It's not really about being ageist, at least not on my part, I would feel the same way if she was 38 and her late daughter 19. 

I wonder why her daughter wanted to save her eggs if she knew she was dying, there was presumably no potential father in the picture at that time.   If someone dies leaving a young child that is terribly sad but can't be helped and if there is family, they will usually rally round to make sure the child is as loved and cared for as possible - but why create a child/grandchild in such difficult circumstances just for the sake of a bit of yourself being carried on to the next generation.

It strikes me as believing one is entitled to a child under any conditions, with no visible other parent, just to fulfill a personal desire, not even a need.  The phrase, "Why shouldn't I?" springs to mind.

The medical personnel involved in this sort of procedure really do need to sort out their ethics;  they won't please everyone but if it was not possible to do this, it wouldn't be considered.

[floo]

The most important aspect to consider in this saga is any potential child being born into a much less than ideal situation.

[Brownie]

Let's hope it doesn't happen but I can't help feeling, now it has been flagged up by this case, that the same thing will crop up again, with someone else.

[jeremyp]

Even more sad, and bizarre;

Not really. The legal battle has been going on for five years.

I mean it is genuinely sad and a little bizarre but it is not more sad and bizarre for having been through a long legal process.

[Brownie]

Maybe not but one would think, in five years, she might have changed her mind.