Pre-implantation genetic testing helped us have our baby girl

For Icelandic couple Tomas and Eva, their journey to parenthood wasn’t easy, and made harder with Eva’s family history of Down’s Syndrome. But with the help of pre-implantation genetic testing at TFP Boston Place Fertility, Eva gave birth to a healthy baby girl in November 2024 after years of trying.  

Tomas and Eva's story

Whilst both working for a small animation company in Iceland, Tomas and Eva met in 2013 and were grateful not to have to navigate the trials and tribulations that have, in later years, increasingly complicated many workplace romances.  

Tomas, 50, has an 18-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, but he and Eva, 39, knew they wanted to add to their family one day.  

The couple first began trying to conceive naturally in 2017, however, after more than a year without success they sought the advice of a doctor in Iceland. Eva saw a gynaecologist in the late summer of 2018 who reassured her everything looked fine. 

Two more years passed, a journey that included multiple miscarriages, before they were recommended for their first IVF cycle in 2021. This was Tomas and Eva’s only IVF cycle in Iceland and after two embryos transfers – one in June and the second in September – the result was a chemical pregnancy.  

On top of this, Eva was aware of a history of Down’s Syndrome within her family, but she didn’t know the correct terminology for this defect, later identified as Robertsonian translocation.  

“When we first spoke to a doctor about this, we were told that Down’s Syndrome wasn’t something that could be passed down genetically and we shouldn’t worry,” says Eva.  

“They thoroughly dismissed the possibility,” Tomas agrees. “Not one, but every doctor we spoke to.” 

"We wonder what our journey would have been like if a doctor in Iceland had pointed us in that direction.”

In 2022, the couple began looking into having treatment done overseas. TFP Boston Place Fertility had been recommended to Eva by her cousin who had travelled over to the clinic in London for her own treatment.  

“At this point, I knew she’d gone over to England for genetic testing, but I knew no more detail than that,” Eva recalls.  

At the same time, it was recommended that Tomas and Eva speak to a genetic consultant in Iceland. “We learned that this genetic translocation was attached to my social security number from when my Mum was pregnant with me,” explains Eva. “She had her amniotic fluid tested to check for Down’s Syndrome as she carried the translocation as well. 

“We were learning things we wished we’d known a few years earlier.”  

Now aware of the full extent of the risk of their child inheriting a genetic condition, and the increased risk of miscarriage – in Eva’s case there was a 10% chance of a successful pregnancy - Tomas and Eva were informed of their need for pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) - a procedure performed on embryos created during IVF.  

"It’s a genetic monopoly.”

Unfortunately, PGT is not performed at any fertility clinic in Iceland, however, the National Health Insurance will cover genetic testing abroad.  

“The help is out there if you know where to look for it but the funding for PGT is not widely advertised in Iceland,” explains Tomas. “We were lucky to know someone who had gone through the same thing.” 

In July 2022, the couple travelled to TFP Boston Place Fertility for their first consultation. It would take two more years and five rounds of IVF – during which 13 embryos were sent for PGT – before they got the healthy embryo they needed.  

The couple’s previous four cycles hadn’t resulted in any embryos that didn’t carry that extra chromosome. With every cycle, the couple grew more anxious, particularly as Eva was getting older. “I was reaching 36, then 37 and 38 and people kept telling me I was fine but with every egg retrieval yielding an unknown number of eggs, and the inherent complexity of the later stages of the process, it felt like time was against us.” 

“It became increasingly physically and emotionally difficult with every failed attempt at a healthy embryo,” says Tomas. “There are so many things that females should know and understand about their reproductive system – is there a problem to be aware of or simply are there even enough eggs to achieve a healthy pregnancy? More women should be encouraged to have a fertility assessment earlier in life so that they have the information they need to make the right decisions at the right time.” 

Tomas admits pushing Eva quite hard during the last treatment, encouraging her to try one last time. “I knew that we needed to go as far as we possibly could so that there wasn’t an iota of doubt in 10 years' time that there was more we could have done,” he says.  

Awaiting the results of the PGT from their fifth cycle – which had come down to one single embryo – was a heart wrenching experience, but one that was made worth it when they learned they’d gotten the healthy embryo they needed. Finally, after a seven-year struggle, their baby girl, Isabella, was born in November 2024.  

"We have accrued a huge emotional debt.” 

For many, the thought of travelling to another country for treatment would be too much, but Tomas and Eva took it in their stride.  

“We had to go through it again and again, but it became a routine to us. We found a hotel within 15 minutes of the clinic, it was a 45-minute drive from Heathrow and a 3-hour flight. Travelling to TFP Boston Place Fertility offered us the least amount of disruption to our lives,” explains Tomas. 

“We were bruised and hurt when we came to TFP Fertility. I’d become somewhat jaded of the system but all of the staff there, not to lessen it, were lovely. 

“We’d experienced the lack of communication, the lack of information, but TFP Fertility explained everything to us in a way that we could understand.” 

Eva adds, “It took us a long time to get that healthy embryo, but we felt as though the staff were invested, and it meant as much to them as it did to us.” 

"Our message of hope to other couples.” 

“To be fortunate enough to celebrate the birth of your child after a journey like ours is nothing short of magical. Yet it’s important to recognise that such a path often leaves behind an emotional residue – something that is not to be feared, but isn’t to be ignored either,” shares Tomas.  

“This is an arduous process, made more bearable by the dedication of healthcare professionals like those at TFP Boston Place. The birth itself is a profoundly moving experience, and like all parents, you will face the same joys and challenges.  

“But as a weary traveler arriving at last, remember to care for yourself and your partner. You may both carry invisible bruises, the marks of what you’ve endured. Tend to them with gentleness.”