Bùi Văn Dũng, 33, and Nguyễn Thị Ngọc with their first baby through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) combined with embryo screening. Photo courtesy of the Andrology and Infertility Hospital of Hà Nội

HÀ NỘI — Bùi Văn Dũng, 33, and Nguyễn Thị Ngọc, 24, a young couple from the impoverished countryside of Lạc Thủy District in Hòa Bình Province, never thought they would become parents.

They married in 2018 and longed for a child. During their five years of marriage, Ngọc conceived naturally three times but suffered miscarriages each time. Feeling sad, exhausted and disappointed, Ngọc and her husband saved up and went to the Andrology and Infertility Hospital of Hà Nội in 2022 for a health check. It was there that they learned both carried the gene for thalassemia, a hereditary blood disorder, which was the cause of Ngọc's repeated miscarriages.

A glimmer of hope appeared when the doctor advised that they had a 25 per cent chance of having a healthy baby through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) combined with embryo screening.

However, the high cost made them consider giving up.

They were then informed about a programme by the hospital, offering free IVF treatment to 15 infertile couples in difficult circumstances from various cities and provinces across the country. The couple registered and returned home to wait.

Luck smiled on them in early 2023 when the hospital called to inform them that they were eligible for the free IVF support package and it smiled again when they successfully conceived on the first attempt.

In August 2023, the couple welcomed their newborn baby.

Reflecting on their six-year journey to parenthood, Dũng said: "Our child is almost one year old, but I can't forget the happiness I felt hearing the first cry at birth. To other infertile couples, keep hoping and trust in modern medicine. If the baby doesn't come to you, seek it out."

Fifteen infertile couples in difficult circumstances received free IVF treatment at the Andrology and Infertility Hospital of Hà Nội. Photo courtesy of the Andrology and Infertility Hospital of Hà Nội

Phan Đình Thắng, 34, and B Nướch Thị Tron, 36, couldn't hide their emotions as they recounted their 12-year journey to parenthood.

Tron, from the Cơ Tu ethnic group in Quảng Nam Province, and Thắng, from the Kinh ethnic group in Hà Tĩnh Province, overcame cultural differences and got married in 2012 after some time of getting to know each other.

Just a year later, Tron became pregnant naturally and the young couple's joy knew no bounds. However, this joy was short-lived when Tron suffered a miscarriage at eight weeks.

The family's income relied solely on three acres of rice fields and the occasional work Thắng did harvesting acacia trees for a daily wage of VNĐ150,000. In 2014, after saving some money, the couple went to Hà Nội for a medical check-up.

"The doctors said there was nothing wrong. Feeling reassured, we went back home to continue hoping for good news. But as time went by, the longer we waited, the less likely it seemed we'd ever have the happiness of welcoming a child and this lasted for 12 years,” said Thắng.

"During that time, we hardly dared visit anyone for fear of hearing hurtful remarks about our inability to have children. Some even said our family was cursed," Tron recounted.

At the end of 2023, they heard from a neighbour who had a child through IVF. The couple once again went to Hà Nội for a check-up and they were guided through the process of applying for free IVF treatment.

Thắng said that he couldn't believe their luck and they even thought it might be a scam until they received the official support decision and saw other infertile couples who had succeeded. This renewed their hope of having a child.

Nguyễn Văn Châm from the Tày ethnic group in Hà Giang Province and his wife shared a similar sentiment to Thắng when they received a call notifying them that their application had been approved.

"I saw an unfamiliar number and didn't answer because there are so many scam calls these days. Then my wife received a call from the hospital informing us that we were granted free IVF treatment. We both cried but still couldn’t believe it, fearing it might be a mistake," Châm said.

Châm's family are quite unique. His father passed away early, his mother has cancer, his grandmother is old and frail and his brother has also been infertile for nine years due to a genetic blood disorder. Additionally, the family supports two orphaned cousins.

All four generations live in a simple thatched house. To support the family and help his brother with reproductive treatment, Châm and his wife moved to Bắc Ninh Province to work as factory workers.

"I just hope that this time, luck will smile on us and grant us a child," Châm said.

For the sixth consecutive year, the hospital has been providing free IVF treatment to couples in particularly difficult circumstances, aiming to alleviate their financial burden and open the door to complete happiness.

Dr Lê Thị Thu Hiền, the hospital's medical director, said: "To date, more than 50 families have received free IVF support, resulting in the birth of 60 healthy babies. This brings us joy and motivation to continue the programme and offer additional support in the coming years."

In addition to the 15 couples receiving free IVF treatment this year, the hospital also provides numerous free support packages for cases requiring advanced reproductive techniques such as MicroTESE for sperm retrieval, hysteroscopy for uterine exploration, embryo screening for genetic diseases and embryo monitoring using an automated system. — VNS