#MyFertilityMatters: Lincoln stepmum fighting for access to IVF on the NHS having case reviewed
It's after we highlighted the fact 100s of women are being refused NHS support just because they're a stepmum
A Lincoln woman who’s fighting for access to IVF on the NHS tells us it’s a dream come true that her case is now being reviewed thanks to our My Fertility Matters campaign.
We’ve been working alongside Sarah Barker after she was told she couldn’t have treatment because she’s already a stepmum.
Last week her MP and health bosses in the region agreed to look at her situation and the current rules in place.
"I sat and I sobbed"
Sarah says it’s only just sinking in that she might finally get the chance to become a mum.
"I rang Chris, my partner, I rang my Mum, I rang my best friend and we were all in tears.
"It’s almost a relief to think that I’m able to have that chance, and that’s all I’ve ever asked for, is that chance.
"It’s so difficult to even put into words how much this’ll mean to me, how much this’ll mean to my family.
"The thought that, who knows, maybe next year I’ll have a child of my own and my stepdaughter will have a little brother or sister in this household.
"Words can’t describe it."
"I love being a stepmum, I love having a stepdaughter"
"To me having a biological child is just that experience, it’s just going through that element of experience that you can’t as a stepparent.
"It’s the positive pregnancy test, it’s the scans, it’s revealing the gender, it’s all those elements that you have in that build-up to eventually bringing a child into the world and it is the missing puzzle piece for us."
"It’s a massive weight off our shoulders as a family"
"It’s a massive help towards us, if we can make this difference for us and we can make this change for our family, just imagine how far we could go with this campaign and how far we could help other people.
"I think that’s the thing that’s made me most emotional is knowing the heartache that we’ve been through and the stress that this has caused for us, it’s a weight off our shoulders now and this could end the stress for so many other families."
She's thanked everyone for supporting the My Fertility Matters campaign.
"I’ve been overwhelmed by the driving force, not just by myself, by the campaigners with me, by my family, by even the local community.
"Everyone across the country has really come together and it shows the importance of this campaign and it shows the importance of giving stepparents the opportunity to have a biological child if they suffer from infertility and their partner has a child from a previous relationship."