Rare embryo donation brings double IVF joy at 46

A 46-year-old Brisbane woman has given birth to Indian twins with a method only used by 1 per cent of Australian IVF couples.

Milla Franchuk with her 18-week-old twins Jaxon and Galina. Picture: Tara Croser

MILLA Franchuk is caucasian and so is her partner Shane, but the Brisbane woman has given birth to two beautiful Indian babies.

In a very rare case, Ms Franchuk tells of how a last-ditch idea at the age of 46 allowed her to fulfil her life’s dream of being a mum.

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“I don’t know how I could have lived if I hadn’t been able to be a mother,” Ms Franchuk told The Courier-Mail.

Decades of disappointments and heartache over IVF failures had taken their toll.

The couple had spent more than $35,000 to have a baby and as she approached her late 40s it looked like there was no hope.

“We were living in Western Australia before our move to Queensland and our fertility clinic told us four frozen embryos had become available from an Indian couple,” Ms Franchuk said.

“I didn’t care that the babies would not be caucasian and wouldn’t look like either Shane or myself; this was my last chance.”

Ms Franchuk gave birth by caesarean section.

“I spent the last eight weeks of the pregnancy in hospital trying to keep the precious cargo inside my body,” she said.

Milla Franchuk with her 18-week-old twins Jaxon and Galina. Picture: Tara Croser

“Thankfully, all went well and Jaxon and Galina were born safe and well.

“They are beautiful with olive skin.

“They may not look like me, but I carried them and they are my babies.

“Can you believe that at 45 I had no children and at 46 I have my perfect family – a boy and a girl?”

Queensland fertility expert David Molloy said only 1 per cent of Australian couples used a donor embryo in the IVF process.

“Donor embryos are usually high-quality as they come from couples who have already been through the IVF process,” Dr Molloy said.

“When couples have extra embryos, the clinic will store them.

“But after time, when the couples get the bill for storage, some decide to dispose of them, donate them to research or donate them to couples wanting a child.”

Ms Franchuk said she decided to have two embryos implanted to have double the chance of having a baby.

“After all the years of suffering, I cannot believe the perfect ending to my story,” she said.

“I am a private person and was unsure about sharing my story, but there are many women who are going through the heartache of infertility and I want to tell them that there can be a happy ending, no matter how desperate things feel.”

EMBRYO DONATION IN AUSTRALIA

*Embryo donation is rare

*Can occur between donor and recipient who know each other

*Donors can be facilitated through embryo donation websites

*Couples often donate for ethical reasons rather than dispose

*Counselling is required

*Embryo transfer pregnancies have been carried out for two decades

*Embryo donation is an altruistic gift