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- / AFP - Getty Images
The world's first test-tube baby Louise Brown, right, poses with her son Cameron, her mother, Lesley Brown, and in vitro fertilization pioneer Robert Edwards on July 12, 2008, during a celebration of Louise's 30th birthday. Lesley Brown died earlier this month after a short illness.
Lesley Brown, the woman who gave birth to the first test tube baby has died at age 64 after a brief illness, the British newspaper The Telegraph reports.
Brown sought out the experimental new treatment, in vitro fertilization, after nine years of trying to get pregnant on her own with her husband John.
She gave birth to a daughter, Louise, in 1978 with the help of two British specialists Dr. Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards.
Louise told the BBC, “Mum was a quiet and private person who ended up in the world spotlight because she wanted a family so much. We are all missing her terribly.” Lesley Brown died June 6 at Royal Bristol Infirmary, The Telegraph reported.
Louise’s birth was the beginning of a “revolution,” says Dr. Anthony Wakim, director of assisted reproductive technologies at the Magee-Women’s Hospital at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
“I still remember exactly what I was doing,” Wakim remembers. “I had just started my internship at the University of Maryland and I was pumping gas into my car when I heard it on the radio. It was just mind-boggling. To my mind it was almost science fiction. It was very far fetched.”
It wasn’t long after when groups in the U.S. developed the expertise to produce babies through in vitro fertilization, Wakim says.
And that changed everything for parents who had been suffering with infertility.
“It was a very big deal,” Wakim says. “Before that we had to rely on micro-surgery to break up the adhesions that were scarring the tubes. Those surgeries could drag on for three or four hours and the results were not so good. The scarring could recur and many times there were ectopic pregnancies.
“I look back and I’m flabbergasted.”
The news of Lesley Brown’s death caught Janice Evans by surprise.
“I felt sad when I heard,” says Evans, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “Think about the courage and persistence she must have had. She was a real trail blazer. As were Steptoe and Edwards.” Edwards was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize for developing IVF. Steptoe died in 1988.
Lesley Brown’s story underscores how persistent people can change the world. “If the three of them hadn’t been so determined there would have been a big gap for the many couples who struggle with infertility,” Evans adds.
The iconic photo of Edwards with Lesley and Louise sums it all up, Evans says.
“Edwards has his arm around Lesley, and Louise is standing next to them holding her son. You get the feeling looking at that photo that they were all in the fight together not just to make a change in the Brown family but to push frontiers.”
Today, the results of that groundbreaking birth are all around us. In 2010, 58,727 babies were born through IVF in the U.S., says Sean Tipton, director of public affairs for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine
“It’s remarkable to think that if you look around a preschool classroom, a big chunk of those kids may have come from IVF,” Evans says.
July 27, 1978: TODAY reports on the birth of Louise Brown in England, the first human being to be conceived outside of a mother uterus.
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So sad. I too remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when they interrupted the TV to announce the birth of Louise. I was only 12 and I thought it was an amazing thing.
@UncleHenry,
Or perhaps, you're just a complete moron?
Uncle Henry,
Using the help of science, there are many babies that have been conceived, born healthy and as human beings are living productive lives. If your "natural selection" theory had true substance to it, babies with severe birth defects would not survived in the womb and would not have been born. Babies with disabilities would not have been born. When you speak of "the weak dying off," you sound as if you are the king of Eugenics! Nature may have an indiscernible way of not being able to sustain every fetus. However, your argument seems twisted. You are suggesting that nature engages in a "mad purging" of people that society would deem undesirable.
Reproductive medicine has helped many couples bring the greatest joy, a child, into their life.
She took the world by storm and did something that will always be a medical first. I don't care what Uncle Henry thinks; maybe his parents shouldn't of been allowed to reproduced. See what came out of that mess.
rip lady. i think ivf and any other fertility treatments are doing more harm than good. if you cannot conceive naturally there is a reason why. perhaps your genes shouldnt be propagated and this is natures way of making sure you dont reproduce. survival of the fittest so to speak. the weak die off and the species either improves or goes extinct. we have a ton of people now on this earth that were never meant to be here.
Another group who were fond of applying Darwin's theories to human beings were the German Nazis.
Uncle Henry that is a terrible thing to say! I agree that many people who have children probably should not have reproduced, but that does not mean that anyone who uses IVF or similar procedures doesn't deserve to be parents. My sister and her husband are very intelligent and have great jobs serving the public and they used IVF after years of trying to conceive naturally. I feel that if someone is willing to go through these procedures, and the ups and downs that go along with them, they deserve the right to be parents!
I can think of at least one person who was never meant to be here, Uncle Henry.
There are tons of loving, hard-working, intelligent people out there that are unable to have babies for various reasons. They have all the love in the world to give to a child but due to some reason, (lots of times simple anatomical problems) cannot get pregnant. You have a problem with these people procreating, yet at the same time you mention nothing of the millions of people who have children who do not even want them. Why is this any of your business? If someone wants a child enough to do IVF, they should be applauded and not made to feel shameful.
Uncle Henry, You got to be kidding. I have seen women pop out babies without the means to care for them themselves. My taxes goes to these parasites, while a family who can and want a child has difficulities and you think that these treatments are wrong. Who are you to tell people that?
Uncle Henry people dont see the truth....Over population at its best...why cant people adopt?? You are absolutley right in what you said. It's gonna be really funny when there isnt food left on this planet for all these people who keep breeding. People are so selfish.....
Breeding isn't threatening our food supply, it's obesity.
People can adopt. But why only apply that standard to people who have trouble conceiving?
I bet you don't ask newly pregnant couples why they chose to have a biological child rather than adopting, since the earth is so "overpoplulated".
Uncle Henry .... you are a dolt. I have two grandchildren because of Mrs. Brown's contribution to science. They are beautiful, intelligent human beings, as are their parents. And they bring so much happiness to our family. Stephanie are you aware of the cost of adoption in the United States?
I think maybe Uncle Henry's mother, along with Stephanie's mom, are the ones who should not have produced. At least my grandchidlren are gowing up to be sincere people who can have empathy for others without throwing in judgement.
Stephanie-2073730, Are you aware that the average cost of adopting a child is 20,000-35,000 and is usually never covered by insurance? Compare that to IVF which is around $15,000 per cycle and is sometimes covered by insurance. Add the emotional complexities of wanting to have your own child and it is pretty self-explanatory. You absolutely cannot understand the emotional pain of infertility unless you have experienced it. So try not to judge so quickly.
Russell may be on to what exactly has stephanie so scared of running out of food.
Uncle Henry, hopefully you will never need a heart transplant, because we all know that you would 'never' consider putting someone elses heart in your chest?!?!
Afterall, if YOUR heart isn't working, why would you ever consider using another that is available to you?
PA-leeeeees, do you really think everything 'except' modern medicine is from your God?!?! That makes a whole lotta sense!?!
To Stephanie-2073730 I have to say you are as much an inconsiderate, dispassionate idiot as Uncle Henry. Would you tell every person who is 'able' to conceive that they should adopt? Would you insist that a mother already pregnant abort her child and adopt to even out the population. How dare you insist that a parent who desires to have a child is selfish. You are more selfish and heartless than any parent who wishes to conceive and raise a child. For anyone to assume it is selfishness, well they are just clueless. When you go through the pain of finding out a lifelong dream has died, or that your born child has died and all that is left is IVF, GIFT, etc or adoption, then maybe you can open your fly catching mouth. But for right now, that's about all your mouth and Uncle Henry's mouth is good for.
As for Uncle Henry, millions of mother CAN conceive naturally but may have other medical reasons as to why their bodies can't carry a viable pregnancy, or that may threaten the life of their child in the late terms of pregnancy. Some mothers may also actually be able to give birth to a live child that may die, and find out that their only chance for conception now is IVF or another form of reproductive technology. If that means that there is something wrong with their GENES which 80% of the time is not the case, then why have millions of women been able to go through IVF and have happy healthy children? You are a total waste of EARTH.
So, when Uncle Henry and his fan Stephanie get cancer, let's just let nature take it's course. After all, there's a reason why they got sick, and it's just survival of the fittest, right?
@ uncle henry:
you know what's sad is that even after your jacked up comment about her and her family, this woman probably would have given you a meal and a place to lay your miserable head.
what's really sad is that you probably wouldn't give a #$%&.
good luck with that.
That means that over 58,000 children who were already born who should have been adopted into a good home were not. People, get over yourselves. Life will go on without the contribution of your DNA to the gene pool. There is nothing so special about you that you need to reproduce for the sake of mankind. For those religious freaks out there, perhaps not being able to have children is god's way of telling you that you should adopt and give a child who is already here a home.
fireypeach - if that is your interpretation of what Uncle Henry wrote, then you should go back to school and learn to read. Whatever you do, don't reproduce. We don't need more people on the planet who are that ignorant.
Hey ABCzyx,
Maybe YOU are the one who needs to how to read. I was ASKING a question not making an interpretation. You might want to look the difference of those terms up in the dictionary, given you can read. If someone wants to put idiotic, heartless statements out there that are generalizations than they can certainly expect questions or challenges to their claims.
Questions are not interpretations but an inquiry for clarification. It is no one person's business as to how a person decides to have a child whether it be natural conception, ART, or adoption. Let's just pray your lack of compassion, judgement and IQ have yet to filter into society. Yet, another waste of Earth. And just for clarification, not all religious freaks decide to pursue IVF and actually do adopt. Guess that's where making incorrect 'interpretations' get you. Another, uneducated guess. And seeing that the part of my post you decided to quote was not even directed to Uncle Henry, your ignorance is blatantly obvious.
Uncle Henry...by your theory you shouldn't even exist.
I agree with you Uncle 110%. Infertility is nature's way of telling people they shouldn't be having kids. But people with their heads in the sand don't want to hear that...they prefer to cover their ears and yell...."la, la, la, la, la I can't hear you"....
yeah Jenny, and getting cancer is nature's way of saying it's time to die.
Except no one's ever died from infertility sparklystar.....could you have anymore of a straw-man argument?
jenny, based on your thinking, when you get cancer that's a message from nature. We are all going to die, but science has made great medical strides to make life easier, happier and healthier for us while we are alive. Who are you to determine who, what and when science and its benefits can be used? And, it's your arguments that are "straw man" when you think that someone needs to sacrifice personal happiness based on your perception of what is right for society. And, do you know the cost of adoption vs. ivf?
BTW..how many children have you adopted?
Adoption can take upwards of 10 years, and many are refused for reasons such as "You had an episode of depression when you were 16" (never mind the fact that you are now 35) or "Your mother had a heart attack before age 50" (never mind the fact that it was caused by an allergic reaction to medication during a surgery).
Sometimes, IVF is chosen for reasons that are hard to understand. I know of one couple where the man was injured in a car accident, and unable to properly, well, deliver the goods naturally. Perfectly healthy otherwise, as was the mother. They had twins their first round of IVF...
Octomom comes to mind....
Hmmm I have a problem with the factual-ness of this article, as my mother was a so called IVF or "test tube baby" and was born in 1957....
The technology definitely didn't exist in 1957...maybe some other kind of fertility treatment was used?
Matthew perhaps you may need to do a bit more research before judging the facts of this case. There are other fornms of assisted reproductive technology and IVF had not been attempted successfully until Louise's case. In 1957, even natural birth in a hospital was still quite primitive and sterile. your mother could have been born via artificial insemination, but IVF...no.
Matt your mother was definately not a test tube baby Louise was the very first that was why so much fuss was made of her birth not just in the UK but here in the States also because it was from her birth that inroads into IVF progressed
Other fertilization? Like milkman?
It is rare that we die knowing for what purpose we were put on this earth. Louise's mum knows. god rest her soul.
Sweet thought.
Michael - Very nice thoughts and so true.
Michael, great thought. Blessings... :-)
Michael, I think I can speak for almost every mother when I say that just about every mother knows why she was put on this earth. Thanks, Michael.
What purpose would that be Michael? To fool and go against the wishes of Mother Nature? Mom Nature was telling this woman for 9 years that she wasn't meant to have kids but she went off anyway and found a way to play God.
Uncle Henry & Jenny - why do you assume you have the right to speak for mother nature? What is your purpose in life - do you know? God creates all life - whether it is in the womb or in a test tube - God is present. Knowledge is the key to all things and GOD is knowledge. Before you speak - look around you, chances are you know someone who has donated sperm, eggs, etc. to help others, or you may even know someone who became a specialist in the field because they wanted to help others.
Long story short, it is of no concern to you what others do in thier life... All that should matter to you is what you do with yours.
RIP and God Bless the Family.
Don't mean to be mean, but, if Louise doesn't do something about her weight, her son, too, is going to lose his mum at a young age. There is no excuse for such a young person to be obese.
You do not know the reason behind her weight. Sure it might be over eating or could be a medical issue, but either way none of your business. Whenever you begin a sentence with "Don't mean to be mean" you should really reconsider saying it in the first place. Your mama obviously didn't raise you right.
It's probably due to being a test tube baby with screwed up genes.
There must be a lot more test tube babies in this world by that logic Kitti Ritter! Have you seen how many heffers there are dragging their flab on the ground?
jenny is pure trash.
If God had not wanted us to use IVF, he would have prevented it from being invented. We have it--use it.
You are an idiot.
lol. He must want us to use nuclear bombs, drugs, etc. as well then.
By that logic Ninny, er, Nini23, let's stop looking for a cure for cancer and AIDS.....after all, if God didn't want us to be sick, he would've prevented those diseases from existing in the first place.
Why do people always have to throw this god thing up...god didnt invent the @!$%#...lol
See, just proves my point in 2.9
Steph God gave the doctors brains to use to develop such technology hence we have it if you do not use your brain the way God intended you to that is your problem not everybody else's he gave us all different talents an if we do not use our brains to discover and further those talents then we are not using the brain he gave us at birth
Stephanie - get a life. It is entirely none of your business if a person wants to pursue IVF treatments.
Mary -- Are you saying that with some 7 billion people in the world, God decided how much brain each of us should have and God intended for those doctors to use their brains to develop the IVF technology? That's a bit too deep for me. Even so, the scientists involved were truly trail blazers, with or without God's involvement.
You mean the same brain that developed nuclear warfare, Mary?
Unless you've been through the IVF ups and downs and experienced it yourself first hand, you have absolutely no room to judge. It's not an easy ride I assure you but thanks to this breakthrough, we had our first son in 2005 and he led the way for our second son conceived naturally.
Congrats russell. Love hearing good news.
Please save us the martyr story Russell. No one FORCED you and your wife to undergo IVF. Had you been smart, you would've saved yourselves a boatload of money, taken a hint from Mother Nature and gotten a few dogs instead.
OH MY GOD! Is Jenny a troll or what??
Jenny, what the hell is wrong with you? What hand have you been dealt in life to be such a rude and callous B!TCH? It's good you don't plan on having any children because you definitely would be the worst mother!
You state the world is overpopulated. So, why haven't you "offed" yourself and your family. The overpopulation would be decreased by a few, wouldn't it?
Uncle Henry, hopefully you will never need a heart transplant, because we all know that you would 'never' consider putting some elses heart in you chest?!?!
Afterall, if YOUR heart isn't working, why would you ever consider using another that is available to you?
PA-leeeeees, do you really think everything 'except' modern medicine is from your God?!?! That makes a whole lotta sense!?!
Uncle Henry is just podunk, uneducated person who has repeatedly posted the same drivel online many times. I've seen his/her stuff before, its the same person, trust me.
I was very saddened to hear the news of Mrs. Brown's passing. This woman, her husband, and beautiful daughter assisted in contributing to a monumental breakthrough in medicine that is continuing to advance and improve everyday with continued learning and research. I was lucky enough to work with one of the physicians who worked on her case as my husband and I explored the options of ARTs (assisted reproductive technology) after we lost our 1st child. It was an experience I will never forget. Although our IVF treatment ended in miscarriage, I would not trade the experience for all the money in the world. Even since my IVF, they have made new discoveries that would have possibly allowed me to carry to term. Maybe, maybe not. Either way, that discovery alone has increased the success of IVF and other ARTs significantly. There is no doubt I feel humbled to have had the opportunity. And I am grateful Mrs. Brown was willing to take a step that, since, has allowed millions of parents to experience the joy of parenthood. I pray her family will find solace and comfort in that thought.
fireypeach - Thanks for your touching note about the Brown family and interesting story of your own experience. I am sorry to hear your treatment was not successful. It is wonderful to know that you are appreciative for the physicians, treatment and experience that has helped many couples experience being a "family".
Sometimes the most unlikely people change the world. Rest in peace, Mrs. Brown. Your courage helped others achieve their dreams.
"Courage"? Facing the enemy at point blank range in Iraq or diving into the rubble of a collapsed or burning building to save someone is courageous....
Refusing to take "no" for an answer from Mother Nature and offering oneself to become a guinea pig is plain old stupid. There's nothing commendable or respectable about what this woman did. Even the lowest forms of life are capable of breeding....
Thank you to Mrs. Brown and her family for their bravery during the early days of IVF. Because of people like them, I have a beautiful granddaughter who brings us so much joy. RIP
IVF is less expensive now than adoption.
That doesn't justify IVF over adoption.
ABCzyx,
Those of us who have done IVF certainly do not need to justify anything, especially to people like you. I paid for it with my own money, and fully support my children in a loving home. Oh yes, that sounds so horrible!!
While infertility is emotionally difficult, adoption is even more so with all the ups and downs. With the average cost of adoption being $35,0000, that's not exactly an option for some people. I hope to God you never reproduce and create more ignorant people for this world. RIP Mrs Brown, and thank you from the bottom of my heart. Without you, i would not have my 2 beautiful children!
Ash, just because you have your head firmly jammed up your posterior, doesn't mean we all do. Some of us have higher aspirations in life than just being obsessed with the inner workings of our uterus.
I think Uncle Henry and Steph need to remember how many people have been helped to have their own children, when Louise was born I was 27 years old and had lost my father 22months earlier but I know how proud he was of his two grandchildren and know them both for the short time he was with them. Both her parents especially her morther for the courage she had to take this forward along with a great medical team Lesley was a brave and pioneering woman. Louise you have a lot to be proud of your parents for besides them brining you into this world. It is definately a sad day your mothers passing.
Hey ABCzyx, Maybe YOU are the one who needs to how to read. I was ASKING a question not making an assumption. If someone wants to put idiotic, heartless statements out there that are generalizations than they can certainly expect questions. Questions are not interpretations but an inquiry for clarification. It is no one person's business as to how a person decides to have a child whether it be natural conception, ART, or adoption. Let's just pray your lack of compassion, judgement and IQ have yet to filter into society. Yet, another waste of Earth. And just for clarification, not all religious freaks decide to pursue IVF and actually do adopt. Guess that's where making incorrect 'interpretations' get you. Another, uneducated guess.
Not everyone can adopt, for one reason or another, whether it be cost, guidelines for adoption, etc. Not everyone can do IVF, for one reason or another. Not everyone can conceive naturally or carry full term etc etc etc. One way or the other way, NO ONE should have to justify the method of choice to be a parent.
Mrs. Brown you have a lovely daughter........(to be sung)........
I LOVE Herman's Hermits!! hehe! Peter Noone rocks!!
I cannot begin to thank Ms Brown. My wife and I tried for 10 years. IVF gave us the opportunity to have our own child. She will be 4 next month. God bless .. Thank you
Congrats! It is a beautiful thing IVF! Just the miracle of life itself is awesome!
Thank you Mrs. Brown and RIP. I have twins through IVF with ICSI. Just a note for those uneducated know it alls. Half of all KNOWN infertility is caused by male infertility. In my case it was male infertility. I asked my then husband if we could use donor sperm, but my ex-husband was vehemently against donor sperm. Of course, I was the one who had to endure the IVF treatments, even though I was fertile. If you have not gone through IVF, you have no idea how hard it is physically, emotionally and financially.
Boo frickin' hoo....cry us a river Morgan. Who FORCED you to go and breed, darling? Please don't make yourself out to be the martyr you're not....even the lowest forms of life are able to breed...you haven't done anything remarkable or special. Get over yourself....
I tried IVF - this was over 25 years ago, but did not succeed. So then I adopted. You don't want to know how much all this cost me. But it was worth it to have a wonderful Hawaiian-Japanese-Italian daughter that nobody else wanted because she was "non-white".
Awwwwwww. Lynda, congrats on your beautiful daughter. I'm sure you are very proud of her.
Lynda, I expect race was the very last thing that would ever enter your mind. I'm sure your daughter is just as lovely as you.
You were chosen by God to be her mother. You and her have connect in a profound way and there is nothing strong enough to ever break your bond with hers nor hers with you. Your share the same DNA...Defiantly Not Anyone Else's daughter but yours.
The only commendable comment on here. Someone who truly realizes the worth of parenting through adoption....offering a chance at life and unconditional love to a child that no one else wanted while at the same time, not adding to the overpopulation of our planet.
THAT'S what being unselfish is all about.
Kudos to you Lynda in Arizona.
I wonder there other test tube baby out there?
I did not know that Chris Farley had a test tube baby sister!
Damn that is the ugliest group of people I've ever seen
Science may be able to help more people spawn, but it can't make unattractive people beautiful. Even science has its limits....LOL! You're so right. They are a God-awful-looking bunch. Shouldn't there be some sort of law about 2 uglies getting together to produce more ugly?
It's always newsworthy to be the first at something, I guess.