Imagine | Winter 2024
A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
Imagine | Winter 2024 A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
Imagine | Winter 2024
A digital magazine from Irwin Mitchell
When Lindsey was diagnosed with cervical cancer, her world was turned upside down. She had to make difficult decisions about her fertility before she had time to fully process the reality of her situation.
My initial reaction was thinking of cervical cancer, thinking hysterectomy and I thought, ‘that’s my fertility gone,’ and that for me was what hit me hardest.
Lindsey
Finding out it was cancer
During Lindsey’s routine cervical screen in November 2017, the doctor noticed something wasn’t right and made an immediate cancer referral. The clinician who performed her biopsy told Lindsey she thought it may be polyps so Lindsey was optimistic when she went to get her results.
After telling her husband Kieron not to cancel parents’ evening at his school, Lindsey took her parents with her to the appointment. On 25 January 2018, her life changed forever – she found out she had cervical cancer.
Lindsey discussed her options with the doctor, and a PET scan confirmed that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.
She needed chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and brachytherapy for the best chances of survival. But she would be left infertile.
She says, “It was absolutely shattering. I’d always wanted children so to hear that was probably one of the most difficult things that I had to deal with through the whole journey, and that’s the one thing that I’m still massively dealing with now.”
Just a few years earlier in 2014, Lindsey’s cervical screen was reported as normal. Investigations showed that her results had been misinterpreted. If the warning signs had been spotted at the time, treatment could have prevented Lindsey from developing cervical cancer altogether.
Lindsey reached out to us to investigate her care and liability was admitted. Her case settled in April 2022.
My initial reaction was thinking of cervical cancer, thinking hysterectomy and I thought, ‘that’s my fertility gone,’ and that for me was what hit me hardest.
Lindsey
Finding out it was cancer
During Lindsey’s routine cervical screen in November 2017, the doctor noticed something wasn’t right and made an immediate cancer referral. The clinician who conducted her biopsy told Lindsey she thought it may be polyps so Lindsey was optimistic when she went to get her results.
After telling her husband Kieron not to cancel parent’s evening at his school, Lindsey took her parents with her to the appointment. On 25 January 2018, her life changed forever – she found out she had cervical cancer.
Lindsey discussed her options with the doctor, and a PET scan confirmed that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.
She needed chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and brachytherapy for the best chances of survival. But she would be left infertile.
She says, “It was absolutely shattering. I’d always wanted children so to hear that was probably one of the most difficult things that I had to deal with through the whole journey, and that’s the one thing that I’m still massively dealing with now.”
Just a few years earlier in 2014, Lindsey’s cervical screen was reported as normal. Investigations showed that her results had been misinterpreted. If the warning signs had been spotted at the time, treatment could have prevented Lindsey from developing cervical cancer altogether.
Lindsey reached out to us to investigate her care and liability was admitted. Her case settled in April 2022.
Lindsey’s determination
Before she had time to process her diagnosis, Lindsey was offered egg harvesting. She was told it would have to happen very quickly and within five days she started IVF. For Lindsey, IVF was one of the hardest parts of her journey. Fortunately, the doctors were able to harvest 36 eggs and fertilise 25 embryos. She says it was, “just such a weight off our minds... We’d got a massive opportunity to have our own children.”
Lindsey had 28 rounds of radiotherapy over six weeks, every day apart from weekends. She had chemotherapy once a week and finally brachytherapy to “blast everything away.” Lindsey was fortunate that one of her friends was a radiotherapy nurse and actually carried out her treatment. It helped her massively, and she’s made a friend for life.
A few months later, in July 2018, Lindsey had a scan to check her treatment had worked. It had been a complete success. Four weeks later was her wedding day and Lindsey said it was, “Really incredible to be able to get married and know that I was alright.”
Lindsey’s determination
Before she had time to process her diagnosis, Lindsey was offered egg harvesting. She was told it would have to happen very quickly and within five days she started IVF. For Lindsey, IVF was one of the hardest parts of her journey. Fortunately, the doctors were able to harvest 36 eggs and fertilise 25 embryos. She says it was, “just such a weight off our minds... We’d got a massive opportunity to have our own children.”
Lindsey had 28 rounds of radiotherapy over six weeks, every day apart from weekends. She had chemotherapy once a week and finally brachytherapy to “blast everything away.” Lindsey was fortunate that one of her friends was a radiotherapy nurse and actually carried out her treatment. It helped her massively, and she’s made a friend for life.
A few months later, in July 2018, Lindsey had a scan to check her treatment had worked. It had been a complete success. Four weeks later was her wedding day and Lindsey said it was, “Really incredible to be able to get married and know that I was alright.”
Finding a surrogate
Surrogacy is a complex, time-consuming and expensive process. Only egg collection is funded by the NHS. Lindsey and Kieron knew they had to find a way to make it happen, but the expense was significant. It felt unobtainable when they first started researching their options.
The couple were lucky to recover surrogacy costs as part of Lindsey’s claim, opening the door for them to start their journey towards parenthood.
Fertility after cervical cancer podcast
Lindsey joined her solicitor Rebecca Brown in an episode of our podcast. Also talking to Tatum De Roeck from Shine Cancer Support charity and Nick Raine-Fenning, consultant gynaecologist, the panel delve deeper into Lindsey’s story.
Even with the costs taken care of, surrogacy in the UK is not easy. Many people look to the US because the process is more straightforward, and the legal implications are easier to navigate. In the US you’re recognised as the baby’s parents as soon as they’re born, but in the UK you have to wait until the Parental Order has been signed. It usually takes an anxious few months after the birth, for the process to be finalised.
As it turned out, the couple found their surrogate in an unlikely place. Lindsey was catching up with friends while having her nails done, when Hayley told her, “I’ve always wanted to be a surrogate.”
“It’s unusual to find someone who knew about surrogacy. It's not something that’s really talked about.” – Lindsey
Since then, Lindsey and Kieron have been on a journey with Hayley, her partner and their daughter, and they’ve formed an incredible relationship. “It’s unbelievable beyond words what Hayley and her family have sacrificed for us” says Lindsey. “She’s had to put her life on hold really. Her world revolves around the process as much as ours does.”
Lindsey joined her solicitor Rebecca Brown in an episode of our podcast. Also talking to Tatum De Roeck from Shine Cancer Support charity and Nick Raine-Fenning, consultant gynaecologist, the panel delve deeper into Lindsey’s story.
Legal support
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