Ana and Olly have been trying to get pregnant since their honeymoon, three years ago. Photo / Supplied
Ana and Olly have been trying to get pregnant since their honeymoon, three years ago. Photo / Supplied
A Kiwi couple struggling with infertility is seeking an egg donor.
After trying to get pregnant for three "heart-wrenching" years, undergoing testing and investigations, various fertility medications and alternative treatments, Aucklanders Ana and Olly Lucas have taken to Facebook to find a donor.
"After our second round of IVF failed it was suggested by our specialist that egg donation was probably the best option," says Ana.
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They are now seeking potential donors through their Facebook page, Wishing For An Egg Donor.
"We're looking for a special woman to make our dreams of a family come true," Ana wrote on the page.
After round three of IVF "failed so spectacularly," Ana says egg donation was an "easy decision to make." Photo / Supplied
The hopeful parents-to-be long for children, and dream of being able to "take them on adventures, have family days out at the cricket, and enjoy long summer holidays at the beach."
While the Lucases have already had a few potential donors get in touch - there's a catch.
"Because NZ laws only allow altruistic donations we can't pressure anyone who approaches us, they must make first contact with our clinic to offer to donate," explains Ana.
"We have so much time and energy to give, a stable home and a lifetime of unconditional love and attention," says Ana. Photo / Supplied
The hopeful parents-to-be say they've had "overwhelmingly supportive" reactions from their friends and family regarding their decision to use a donor, and are feeling hopeful about their chances of finding one.
"We're staying optimistic that we will find a donor in NZ, but we would consider going to an overseas clinic if we need to."
The Lucas's fertility clinic, Fertility Plus, requires donors to be healthy, under 36 years old, and a non-smoker with a body mass index of less than 30.
Potential donors will undergo thorough counselling and genetic screening, to test for diseases such as cystic fibrosis and spinal muscular dystrophy.
The successful donor will then undergo an in-vitro fertilisation cycle, which includes injecting themselves with fertility drugs to stimulate the ovaries into producing eggs.
These eggs will then be injected with Olly's sperm and transferred to Ana.
When it came to making the tough call to seek a donor egg Ana says it was a no brainer.
"It was an easy decision to make. At this point having a baby in our arms to love and to cherish, is far more important than it being 100 per cent biologically ours."
