AHMEDABAD: A woman's burning desire to have a biological child of her husband even after his death pushed a young wife to file an emergency plea in Gujarat high court seeking permission to extract sperm from her critically ill husband. The wife's love won as on Tuesday night, sperm from the husband hooked on artificial life support were preserved following HC directive for use for any future IVF procedure.
More than a month before this demand pulled at the hearts of people, a 36-year old accountant from Vadodara Hely Aerke went ahead and transferred her embryos preserved in Anand fertility center, feverishly hoping for a posthumous child of her husband Sanjay. It did not result in a pregnancy but Hely says she will not give up.Sanjay was a sports teacher in a school and was known for his love for hockey. The 42-year old succumbed to Covid-19 during the deadly second wave on April 23.
“I love my husband too much. Together, we had seen the dream to have a child but Sanjay left me too soon. I want to have his child and I will continue treatment till little Sanjay comes to me,” says Hely.
Hely's IVF specialist Dr Nayana Patel of Anand said that it was a poignant moment when the widow came with her inlaws for embryo transfer more than a month ago. “She loves her husband very much and wishes to have his child. She was apprehensive of what would society say if she got pregnant after her husband's death but we and her family gave her support to go ahead with her decision,” says Dr Patel.
Hely says they married late --she was 30 years old and Sanjay was 36 years old when they tied the knot. The widow says the two were aware that age might play an impediment in their pregnancy plans. So when they failed to conceive naturally, they consulted fertility specialists.
After consulting four different gynecologists in Vadodara, the couple finally started treatment with IVF specialist Dr Nayana Patel in Anand. “Embryos were freezed after fertilizing our biological material. We did the first cycle in January 2021 but pregnancy was not successful," reminisces Hely.
Surrogacy to fulfill her dream
While the couple was making up their mind to pursue more cycles, Sanjay got Covid-19 in April. “It was the most traumatic time for me. I struggled to get a bed for him. Finally, we got him hospitalized but he succumbed,” says an emotional Hely.
Hely, who used to work as an accountant, got a job in her husband's school as office assistant on compassionate grounds. After school hours, she works as an insurance agent to earn extra money to collect funds for her treatment.
“My uterus is not competent to sustain a pregnancy and hence I have been advised surrogacy. I will use money raised from selling the house for treatment. Sanjay and I had seen a dream of becoming parents — I will fulfil it at any cost,” says Hely.
The young widow says that she hopes the society supports her in her choice. “This is the most important decision of my life. I know Sanjay would want this,” says Hely who says her husband taught her to face life with confidence.
