One of the first babies to be conceived with the help of City Fertility Centre on the Gold Coast will be joining in to celebrate the clinic’s fifth anniversary in July.
Little Alexis Lee Hoenstok was one of City Fertility Centre Gold Coast’s first success stories shortly after the clinic opened in 2005 – and she will soon celebrate her fourth birthday.
Parents Sylvia and David said Alexis was a typical little girl who loved all things to do with Barbie, princesses and fairies.
“She also has a great sense of humour and is clever and strong-minded like most four-year-olds,” said Sylvia.
After starting to try to have a baby from the age of 28, Sylvia and David’s journey spanned seven years of unexplained infertility.
For the first few years they weren’t too worried and tried natural therapies. They finally sought the help of fertility specialist Dr Andrew Davidson at City Fertility Centre and had success on their second IVF attempt.
After Sylvia’s trouble-free pregnancy, Alexis arrived via water birth at John Flynn Hospital at 39 weeks.
Miraculously, Sylvia and David now also have 16-month-old Harry, who was conceived naturally.
Dr Davidson, who is the medical director of City Fertility Centre Gold coast, said over the past five years the number of new patients needing help had continued to grow.
“We now have seven fertility specialists consulting from our clinics in Tugun, Robina and Benowa,” he said.
The number of people undergoing IVF treatments is increasing, according to the latest official report Assisted reproductive technology in Australia and New Zealand 2007. There were 56,817 treatment cycles in Australia and New Zealand in 2007, an increase of nearly 13 per cent since 2006 and almost 54 per cent since 2003. In total, 10,856 live-born babies were welcomed following ART treatment in 2007 in those two countries.
Dr Davidson said that while City Fertility’s success rates were above industry standards, it was important for couples to be aware of the many factors that could influence their chances of success.
“Every couple’s circumstances are unique and we therefore tailor a unique treatment plan to suit them,” he said.
For further information, please contact the City Fertility Centre closest to you:
Brisbane City, 1800 123 483
Brisbane Southside, 1800 483 483
Gold Coast, 1300 859 116
Melbourne, 1300 781 483
