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DELIGHTED: Michelle Hickman with eight-year-old Robert and miracle baby Jaimes.
Miracle baby boy is most precious gift of all
Peter Devine13/ 2/2008
A HEATON Chapel couple who made a desperate plea through the Stockport Express to find a surrogate mum are celebrating the arrival of miracle baby Jaimes.
Delighted parents Michelle Hickman and Martin Hymers launched their frantic search after an emergency hysterectomy following the birth of son Robert eight years ago, left Michelle unable to have any more children.
Michelle, who wanted a bigger family, underwent two egg retrievals with surrogacy in mind, first in May 2001 and again in April 2002.
In total, 13 fertilised embryos were stored at Manchester Fertility Services. However, under English law, embryos stored for more than five years have to be destroyed. Left with nowhere else to turn and just weeks to spare, the couple turned to the Stockport Express to highlight their story, prompting surrogate mum Tina Lamont, 25, of Heaviley, to come forward and fulfil their dream.
Said Michelle: "I want to say a big thank to your reporter Lisa Kenyon who wrote the original story and to the editor Mandy Leigh who put it into the paper.
"It took six-and-a-half years and the odds of finding someone were very long indeed. Apparently, some friends of Tina Lamont, from Offerton, saw the appeal and alerted her to the story and within two days she got in touch with us.
"By December 2006 she was carrying identical twins. One of the twin boys, Clover died at 28 weeks, but then Jaimes was born six weeks later. And there is no doubt we consider Jaimes is our miracle baby."
Tina, meanwhile, told the Stockport Express she was delighted to help Michelle and Martin. She said: "I had wanted to be a surrogate mum before I saw the appeal. The pregnancy was physically very difficult for me and the loss of Clover was the worst thing that happened.
"Jaimes was born by Caesarean section and I was delighted for Michelle and Martin."
After the family spent time mourning the death of Clover, Michelle said she now feels ready to continue the couple’s aim to have yet another child – if they are offered a further surrogacy. But this will only happen if there is a change in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990. Changes to the current act are currently going through Parliament
"As English law stands we cannot now use any of the 11 remaining fertilised embryos, which are still being stored, and if we wanted a further child we would have to transfer the remaining embryos abroad, and then be offered a surrogacy there, which seems highly unlikely.
"If we now get a change in the law and are offered another surrogacy our family can be truly complete."
To help other women who have had hysterectomies following pregnancy, Ms Hickman has also set up a group called A Little Wish, which can be contacted at www.a-little-wish.co.uk
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16/02/2008 at 16:33
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