A BBC journalist has shared her heartbreaking four-year IVF journey, which has cost £38,000 and left her feeling that her dream of having a baby is slipping away. Sophie Sulehria, who works for the BBC, and her husband Jonny began trying for a child shortly after their wedding in 2011, but were soon confronted with devastating medical diagnoses.
Sophie was diagnosed with stage four endometriosis and premature ovarian failure, meaning she had the egg count of a 50-year-old in her early 30s. The couple were told it would be 'probably impossible' to conceive naturally. They started NHS-funded IVF in April 2014, but only one egg was retrieved, and the pregnancy test came back negative.
Over the next three years, they underwent six further rounds of private IVF, borrowing money from family to cover the £38,000 cost. Each round ended in failure, and Sophie fell into a deep depression. 'My body didn't feel like my own,' she said. 'The hardest part was my mind; I was all-consumed with being a mum.'
Jonny described the emotional toll on both of them, saying he often hides his own struggles behind a brave face. 'The reality of how I've coped with the journey is simple - Sophie,' he said. 'She is the only reason I have been able to get up every morning.'
Despite the pain, the couple remain determined. 'I will continue to do everything I can for her and our future family, however that comes,' Jonny added. Their story highlights the high failure rate of IVF, which does not succeed in 70% of cases, and the emotional and financial strain it places on couples.
