North Wales couple campaign for change to embryo consent law
Natalie Fraser-Edwards and Nik Fraser-Edwards want changes to the law after a donor withdrew consent to the use of their remaining embryos.
A couple in Wrexham are campaigning for a change in UK law after a sperm donor withdrew consent to the use of five embryos they had created through fertility treatment.
Natalie Fraser-Edwards and Nik Fraser-Edwards used ICSI treatment and chose shared motherhood, resulting in six embryos being created.
They spent more than £23,000 on six rounds of private fertility treatment after they did not qualify for NHS support in Wales.
Their first embryo transfer blessed them with the son they had hoped for - Jude, who was born in August 2025.
But they say they were contacted by their clinic in June and told their donor had withdrawn consent to the remaining embryos.
Natalie said they were "absolutely floored" when they received the news.
The embryos are now due to be destroyed in January next year.
They've launched a petition calling for UK law to be changed so that donor consent cannot be withdrawn once an embryo has been created.
Natalie and Nik said they had not realised when the embryos were created that the donor could withdraw consent at such a late stage.
The couple now cannot afford to go through fertility treatment again.
Natalie said: "Financially, emotionally, physiologically, we can't do it again."
The couple told us they had always planned for Jude to have a genetically connected sibling, and for Nik to carry the next pregnancy.
But they say the campaign is not just about their own family.
Several other couples have contacted them since they began speaking publicly about their experience, saying they have faced similar situations.
They hope their campaign will lead to a review of UK law, so it reflects modern fertility treatment and the changing needs of families.