At the age of 23, Jodie Wyers was diagnosed with lymphoma follicular by doctors. This disease (which usually affects patients aged 50 and over and affects around 3,500 people in France) is a type of cancer: it results from an abnormal proliferation of certain cells in the immune system, B lymphocytes. When these white blood cells accumulate excessively, a tumor forms, most often in the neck or armpits.
To overcome her cancer, Jodie benefits from a chemotherapy. The only problem: this heavy treatment – which is ultimately effective, since it effectively eradicated the young teacher’s tumor – leaves her infertile. “But my husband and I absolutely wanted children,” explained the young woman to the Daily Mail. So we did several in vitro fertilization (IVF), but none was successful. We were desperate. “
An ovarian tissue transplant
Until Prof. Kate Stern of the Royal Women Hospital in Melbourne (Australia) intervened to offer Josie a completely innovative assisted reproduction technique. The doctors thus took ovarian tissue from his uterus, to then graft them at the level of its abdomino-pelvic wall (the lower abdomen). An operation that had only been performed once before. “We then stimulated the ovarian tissue to produce eggs, which we then used in the context of IVF” explained Prof. Kate Stern to the Daily Mail.
Ten months (and several IVFs) later, Josie falls pregnant. “The pregnancy went without complications. We were really happy: it was like a miracle. And just recently, it was a little Evie who stuck out her nose. Premature, but healthy!
