Introduction by Bong Poh Yuk (MAY 1999)
<----- A FAMILY PORTRAIT!
My wife Chun Mei (CM) and I were married in 1983. Ever since then, we had this vision (like any normal couples) of a perfect family with children of our own. More than 14 years later we finally realised this vision with the birth of our daughter in December 1988 and our son in November 1997. The journey had not been easy.....
Two successive ectocpic pregnancies experienced by CM in 1984 and 1985 on the left and right fallopian tubes respectively rendered both fallopian tubes functionless. A hysteropingogram (Dye test) confirmed that both tubes were blocked. Our dreams were shattered when doctors told us that CM and I   would never be able to conceive naturally.
At that time we heard a lot about In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF - better known as the test-tube baby method) and decided to give it a try. We were told by doctors that the success rate from IVF was extremely poor. CM and I decided to give the method a try as that  was the only way to get a biological child of our own.
The baby chase can be liken to a bottomless pit but fortunately for us we did not drop forever. Undergoing IVF is a stressful experience where there is no gaurantee of success. There were numerous instances where we wanted to quit throughout the 14 years of baby chase.  Somehow, the urge (especially that of CM) to complete our vision was much too great. Our mental and physical strength came with the support of many family members, friends, colleagues and especially the doctors who treated us. None of these would of-course have been possible without the strength, courage and determination of CM who had to endure so much pain in the pursuance of our vision. Quitting was never in her vocabulary.
In the 14 years we had six attempts at IVF,  another (3rd) ectocpic prenancy and two live births. One unsuccessful attempt at Bourn Hall, near Cambridge in England in 1986, three attempts at the National University Hospital in Singapore which resulted in the birth of our daughter in December 1988 and two attempts at the Jerudong Park Medical Centre in Brunei which resulted in the birth of our son in November 1997. In IVF terms, we have been extremely lucky.  Many IVF couples go back to an empty cradle.
The pregnancy of both our children went to full term and both were born naturally. In both instances, I cried in joy at each birth as I held each one in my arms. At long last, our vision is realised - we are a complete family.
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