Stories
06-07-2026
At the start of their journey, Evi and Mike did not feel that their wish to have a child was immediately the focus. It began with a body that was sending signals and with questions they could not get answers to. What followed was a path that unfolded step by step, and that eventually led them to their son Noah.
To protect their privacy, we use fictitious names in this article. Evi and Mike's story is real, however, and is shared with their permission to create more openness.
In 2020, in the middle of lockdown, Evi's periods stopped. She contacted her GP, and that is where the process began. At first, they were mainly told that she was young and that it was only natural to be patient.
Tests and treatments followed at the hospital, but real answers did not come. Time and again, they were told to wait a little longer, while they kept feeling that there was more going on.
In the period that followed, steps were taken: first tablets, later hormone injections. It was mostly a matter of trying, without really looking closely at an underlying cause. Looking back, this felt like a long in-between phase: they were in the healthcare system, but without a clear direction. People around them suggested looking further, and that is how they ended up at Nij Clinics. In hindsight, this proved to be a turning point for Evi and Mike.
At the first intake, everything fell into place. During an ultrasound scan, Evi was diagnosed with PCOS. After almost two years of uncertainty, the diagnosis came as a relief: at last there was an explanation.
After several unsuccessful IUI attempts, they took the step to IVF. The first egg retrieval produced a lot of eggs. Many of them were fertilised, which gave them hope for the first time in a long while. A few days later, that hope turned: on day three, they were told that all the embryos had stopped developing.
A second IVF attempt followed, again with an egg retrieval and fertilisation. For a moment there seemed to be a prospect, but this time, too, the embryos did not develop any further. In the conversation that followed, it became clear that the quality of Evi's eggs was not sufficient to achieve a healthy pregnancy, and that the chance of success with her own eggs was very small. Confronting, but also clear.
Egg donation came into the picture. In the Netherlands, the waiting lists turned out to be long, which added to the feeling of standing still. Evi and Mike needed a prospect; waiting any longer no longer felt like an option.
Through Nij Clinics, they heard about a new collaboration with Ovumia in Finland. The programme was still in its early days and new to everyone involved, but it was precisely the openness and the sense of doing it together that gave them confidence. Choosing egg donation was not an easy decision, but it was a conscious one: a step that grew out of everything they had been through before.
The first donor they were matched with turned out to have the same condition as Evi, which was another disappointment. Not long afterwards, a second match was found. In terms of physical characteristics, this donor was a good match for Evi. The eggs developed well and eventually resulted in seven embryos. These were frozen and later transferred to the Netherlands.
In May, one embryo was transferred. The first attempt was successful and Evi was pregnant. The relief was enormous, but in the early stages there was bleeding, with extra check-ups and tension.
At the 20-week scan, a possible abnormality was seen. At Radboudumc in Nijmegen, a series of tests followed to find the cause. They also looked into whether there might be a hereditary background. Those weeks were hard: even before there were any results, they had to think about scenarios you would rather never have to consider. In the end, the reassuring news came that there was no hereditary condition, and the abnormality could be explained.
Evi gave birth at forty weeks and one day, on the day she was actually due to be induced. The labour was intense. At the very last moment, things went wrong and Noah was not breathing on his own. In a split second, the room was full of healthcare professionals. For Mike, it felt as if everything was happening at once, while Evi could only hope that it would turn out all right.
After a few seconds, Noah started breathing and let out his first cry. The tension eased. He was here. The moment made a deep impression: intense, overwhelming and anything but a given.
After the birth, a difficult period began for Evi. Where others expect to be on "cloud nine", years of pent-up tension came out for her.
"During treatment, you are in survival mode. You take one disappointment after another, but you just keep going," says Evi. "It was only when Noah was here and things calmed down that the real blow came. I talked to psychologists for a long time to come to terms with everything. People often forget that the emotional processing only begins when the medical journey ends."
The family is now doing well. Noah is a cheerful and calm little boy. "As complex and exhausting as the journey was," says Mike, "that is how easy Noah is now." Evi adds that they are enormously grateful.
Their story has a happy ending, but not without scars. By sharing their experience, they hope to contribute to more understanding and openness about egg donation. Because young people can also face infertility.
Every journey towards having a child is unique and not always easy. Would you, like Evi and Mike, like to share your story and support others by doing so? Please contact marketing@nijclinics.com
Do you also wish to have a child, and is it not happening by itself? We are here to help everyone who wishes to have a child, whichever step you are considering.
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