Dave Jamesion has twins after being diagnosed azoospermia
A man who was told he would never father his own children when diagnosed with a condition meaning he carried no sperm, is now the proud father of twins after an incredible medical journey.
Lifestyle
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A Queensland man who was told he would never father his own children is now the proud father of twins after an incredible medical journey.
Townsville dad Dave Jamesion says he was left broken in 2016 after being diagnosed azoospermia, meaning he carried no sperm.
He said his doctor’s blunt diagnosis left him devoid of hope and in a deep depression.
But Dave and his wife Lindsey are now parents to two lively toddlers – Dave’s own genetic children.
Thanks to a miraculous procedure performed in Melbourne, 16-month-olds Annabelle and Abigail have hints of dad in their eyes.
“Lindsey and I always wanted a family and when I thought that I couldn’t make that happen I went into a spiral of depression,” Mr Jamesion, 34, said.
“It’s a major blow to the self-esteem. No one really talks about the impact of male infertility but for me it was devastating … feelings of sadness and guilt.
“We were very close to deciding on using a sperm donor but Lindsey found out on an online forum about Dr Hossam Elzeiny who performed MicroTESE. This involves sperm retrieval in cases of severe male infertility, using advanced microscopic techniques to locate and extract sperm.”
Azoospermia, a condition marked by the complete absence of sperm accounts for close to 10 per cent of male infertility cases.
“I am a shy person and haven’t really talked much about my infertility but I want men to know that no matter how desperate things seem there may be solution,” Mr Jamesion said.
“I am forever grateful to Lindsey who put so much work into research.”
Dr Elzeiny, from City Fertility in Melbourne, said the Jamesion’s story is a testament to how perseverance, advanced reproductive techniques and individualised care can make parenthood possible, even in complex cases.
“Lindsey and David Jamison’s fertility journey was marked by complex challenges. After six years of trying to conceive, they came to me in the hope of finding a path to parenthood, despite facing difficult odds,” he said.
“David, diagnosed with azoospermia while Lindsey, at 37, had a low ovarian reserve, producing fewer than five eggs per IVF cycle.
“Additionally, her age and weight posed further challenges to egg quality and pregnancy success. Following an unsuccessful IVF attempt in Queensland, the couple had even begun considering a known sperm donor.
“ Fortunately, we were able to retrieve viable sperm from David through MicroTESE, which enabled us to fertilise Lindsey’s eggs using fresh sperm. The outcome was not only successful for this IVF cycle but also allowed us to freeze additional sperm for possible future pregnancies.”
Mrs Jamesion said that on meeting Dr Elzeiny he said “ let me give Dave a genetic child”.
“ We will be forever grateful that he completely turned the narrative on our fertility journey on its head,” she said.
The success rate of the MicroTESE varies between 40 to 60 per cent. Dr Elzeiny’s success rate is 64.3 per cent.
Originally published as Dave Jamesion has twins after being diagnosed azoospermia
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