One day, I received a phone call from our patient in Switzerland. She happily informed me that she has already moved from Paris and her two children are both doing well. Securing her promise to send us their recent photos, I gave her our most heartfelt congratulations again– expressing our fervent hope that she can visit us soon.


This year, her health suddenly deteriorated and her homecoming to e-Stork Reproductive Center to avail of our executive check-up package was a bittersweet event.

I can still remember performing her C-section two years ago. At the moment her babies came out, almost everyone in the operating room exclaimed, ‘Oh, such beautiful babies.’ All the nurses clamored around her cute twins. It seems that in most inter-racial marriages, the infants have irresistible doll-like faces – with huge intelligent eyes, blushing chubby cheeks and rosebud lips. I think this may be attributed to the stronger Western genes.

Her twins weighed-in at an difference of 890grams. The smaller child needed to stay in the incubator for a short period, but the second baby was a hefty 2650grams. Unfortunately, I am unable to share their adorable pictures in our webpage as the parents are very conservative people.

Her battle to conceive started four years prior to her first visit to our center. Marrying late, her uterus and ovaries were already deteriorating by the time the couple decided to have children. Nine rounds of failed IVF treatments took her on a painful journey from Europe to Taipei to Hsin Chu. She almost achieved her dream twice in past trials but between complications with her uterus and an operation to remove uterine fibroid, she failed to realize her wish both times. Dispensing the myth that it is an unlucky number, she was finally blessed with a twin pregnancy on her 13th cycle.

Her case truly is a medical miracle as it is rare for women in their late forties to successfully give birth to healthy twins at 36 weeks even after undergoing major surgery. In fact, she is famous in our clinic as the single patient with the most number of tries in IVF to date.

I am greatly in awe of the personal sacrifices that our overseas patients willingly suffer each day in their pursuit of starting a family – the long commutes from their home country to Taiwan, the emotional rollercoaster ride and the financial strain. Each failed attempt would mean they have to start the entire process once again. But instead of throwing in the towel, they continue to persevere – knowing that the reward of being able to gaze upon the sleeping face of one’s own sweet cherub is definitely well worth the wait and pain.

I always share the wonderful story of this patient’s 7-year struggle to our other clients when they start to falter and think about giving-up after the second cycle. I remind them that any burden is bearable in exchange for the chance of sharing a lifetime of warmth and happiness with your child.