Mum from Cheshire wants five-year storage limit for frozen embryos overturned.
Mum-of-two Michelle Hickman, 36, will lose 11 of her frozen embryos under new laws due to come into effect from October 1.The new laws will mean if frozen embryos have already been stored for more than five years, they will be disposed of or transferred to a country that will agree to help the family. However, for women who need a surrogate, the new laws will allow storage to be extended by up to 55 years, though for most cases the storage limit will be 10 years.Michelle is part of A Little Wish, a group pushing to extend the storage limit for certain cases, such as her own.Michelle had a hysterectomy after the birth of her first son in 2000, for medical reasons. Through IVF, Michelle and her husband produced embryos. They then had their second son with through a surrogate mum two years ago.Currently, IVF patients who need a surrogate mum can only store frozen embryos for five years (an extension is possible for those who carry their own baby). Because her hysterectomy was thought of as an exceptional circumstance, Michelle had her five-year storage period extended.
