Congratulations to Nobel Prize winner Prof Robert Edwards
Posted by Ellee on Oct 4, 2010 in News, updates | 7 comments
Congratulations to scientist Prof Robert Edwards on being awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine. But why has it taken so long for him to achieve this worldwide recognition?
The pioneering IVF treatment he developed with Dr Patrick Steptoe at Bourn Hall Clinic, near Cambridge (he died in 1988) – resulted in test tube babies as we know them – and more than 4 million babies have been born this way.
There was a time my husband and I thought we would not be able to conceive, but thankfully we were blessed with two sons au natural. We would certainly have gone down this route if nature had not been in our favour. I know one woman whose life has been made complete with two babies using IVF, it is one scientific procedure which has had a profound and beneficial affect on people’s lives.
However, I remember once visiting Bourn Hall Clinic to interview Prof Edwards and saw a couple crying in the hallway, it felt such a sad place. It was a long time ago and the success rate then was only 20%, which meant that 80% of couples were devastated at the failure of their IVF programme; I do not know what the success rate is today.
Sadly, infertility is said to affect up to 10% of all couples worldwide.
Prof Edwards is pictured here with his first test tube baby Louise Brown, with her own baby. What a miracle life can be – thanks to Prof Edwards and Dr Steptoe.
I must admit that the award doesn’t diminish peoples view of IVF babies. Nevertheless, we are so grateful for having him born to enable longed-for babies to be born, I wonder what happens if he isn’t born.
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disaffected, thanks, I’ll look out for you. You might spot my friend before me as she has very red hair, but I’m not sure what time we will be going as I have to collect her from the Wilbrahams.
We as usual can agree to disagree Ellee !
Yes weather permitting Im going to Chippenham with a fellow Yorkshire woman .
You know who to look out for , plump, loud, gobby Northerner .
We try to get there just after it opens to get the best light of the day , hope to catch up with you again .
Regards D
disaffected, I’m sorry, but I don’t agree with your view. I feel there is considerably more good than bad coming out of IVF. It’s impossible to know whether disabled embryos would have been aborted with or without the use of IVF. Nature can be cruel sometimes – and childless couples might say the inability to conceive naturally is the hardest cross for them to bear. But I do respect your views and fully understand them, and that it can be perceived as men playing God. But then science and medicine does that in so many other ways too.
I’m hoping to go to Chippenham Park on Sunday, btw, so should I look out for you?
Might I suggest that everyone looks at SPUC ( Society for the protection of the unborn child ) John Smeatons blog today on this .
I utterly agree with his views part of which I will quote .
“IVF has made it possible to search out and destroy disabled children . Our society should not be applauding legal and svcientific advancements in the targeting and killing of disabled human beings.
IVF doesnt actually treat infertility problems, it merely bypasses them ”
” giving Professor Edwards a prize for promoting the abuse of human embryos by IVF is an affront to mankind , and especially disabled people ”
2,137,924 human embryos were created by spec ialists whilst assisting couples in the UK to have babies between 1991 and 2005.
During this period the total of live babies born through the IVF procedures was 109,469 .
This really is men playing God instead of allowing nature to be in control I find it disgusting and an affront to the human race.
Hi, there are various professions in this world, however, medical research is a “true noble profession”. Robert Edwards deserves what he has been awarded…
Ellee , the real truth is that there are already too many people on the planet thats why we have global warming .
The likes of these two doctors in deciding they could play God did none of us any favours ( only massaged their own egos )
Nature sometimes sadly balanced out the numbers game making some barren , before the likes of thes two people most just sadly accepted this was the case.
Now we all think we should have the right to be made able to produce babies ( and live much longer than nature ever envisaged ) both scenarious are an aborition on the laws of nature .
This is not a brave new world more likely a road to hell .