Mum-of-three in heart-felt battle to save fertility clinic

A mum-of-three who has fought a heartbreaking battle to have a family is now launching a fight to stop an NHS fertillity clinic from closing.

Emma Hillman, 30, fears that other couples will be denied the chance to have children if the clinic at East Surrey Hospital closes.

Emma and husband Matt, from Colgate, were delighted when their first daughter Elsa was born five years ago.

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But their joy turned to desperation when they struggled to add to their family.

And there was more heartache to come when Emma suffered four miscarriages.

Emma and Matt turned to fertility specialist Dr Walied Youssef for help - and went on to have two more healthy daughters after fertility treatment.

Said Emma: “We feel so sad to hear that the managers of the Surrey and Sussex NHS trust feel it necessary to close the fertility clinic at east Surrey effective March 31 2017.”

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Emma said that the staff at East Surrey were “fantastic” in helping her and husband Matt to deal with their fourth miscarriage when she was rushed there by ambulance suffering from excessive blood loss.

“It was the worst experience of my life,” said Emma. “I was terrified I was going to die.”

Now the proud mum of Elsa, five, Elena, 22 months, and Eliza, three weeks, Emma wants to help other would-be parents.

She has launched a petition on the website Change.org to save the East Surrey fertility clinic.

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Said Emma: “My husband and I would like to do everything in our power to ensure this clinic stays running, as it is so vitally important to couples unable to have babies naturally. The effects of infertility are devastating.”

Angela Stevenson, chief operating officer, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “We have not currently made a decision to stop our outpatient fertility clinic.

“We currently provide initial consultations and treatments for women and couples experiencing difficulties in conceiving and work in partnership with The Bridge Centre in London, where we refer couples seeking more complex NHS fertility treatment including IVF.

“Women who sadly experience a miscarriage are cared for by our team of midwives, who provide support as they recover and then, hopefully, have a further successful pregnancy and birth.

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“We remain focused on providing high quality, safe care to all our patients to ensure, in each of the services we provide, that patients receive the right care in the best place.”

To sign Emma’s petition, go to https://www.change.org/p/chief-executive-and-deputy-chief-executive-of-surrey-and-sussex-healthcare-keep-the-fertility-clinic-at-east-surrey-hospital-open

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