The mother conceived naturally and gave birth to a baby boy two weeks ago.
Edinburgh
University scientists are freezing tissue from the reproductive organs of boys
and girls as young as one, which can be re-implanted once they reach adulthood.
The 33-year-old
mother had a section of her ovary removed 11 years ago.She wishes to remain anonymous.
Following her chemotherapy, doctors re-implanted the tissue last year.
Researchers said
the new service was open to NHS patients.
'Astonished
and overjoyed'
The new mother
said: "That the re-implanted tissue took so quickly, came as a really
wonderful surprise.
"I'm
incredibly appreciative of my oncologist's foresight in sending me for the
consultation with the fertility team.
"I had one
small surgical procedure before I began my second round of chemotherapy and
now, 10 years on, my husband and I have been able to have a family."She added: "We never thought it would be possible and we are just astonished and overjoyed. We are extremely grateful to all the people involved in this process.
"When
you're going through cancer treatment it can be hard to think about the future,
but I do think this will offer hope to others that they could one day have a
family."
'Real
hope'
Prof. Richard
Anderson, of Edinburgh University, said: "The storage of ovarian tissue to
allow restoration of fertility after cancer treatment in girls and young women
was pioneered in Edinburgh over 20 years ago, and it is wonderful to see it
come to fruition.
"This gives
real hope to girls and young women facing treatment that may cause them to
become infertile, and shows how some medical advances can take a long time to
show their benefits."
The research has
been funded by the Wellcome Trust, Children with Cancer, the European Union and
the Medical Research Council.
It has involved
close collaboration with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.
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