Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has shared the happy news that she and husband Ben have five frozen embryos stored.
Following her diagnosis with breast cancer last year, the 33-year-old dancer was dealt the further devastating news that she would no longer be able to have children naturally.
As a result, before her treatment, Amy was offered IVF and egg collection. Now, she’s revealed that it’s a case of so far so good for her “little Amy and Bens”.
Strictly star Amy Dowden on family plans
Speaking on Spencer Matthews’ Big Fish podcast, Amy admitted that being told she may not be able to have children was one of the hardest parts of her diagnosis.
Harder than the words you have cancer.
“[After hearing] the words: ‘Sorry, Amy, you have cancer,’ what I found harder was in the next sentence,” she said.
Amy said: “You know, newly married, we’d only been married in July, and this was only in the spring now. And his next sentence was: ‘And what’s your fertility plans because unfortunately you’ve got a hormone-fed cancer? We’re going to have to shut down your hormones.'”
“I’m sat there with my husband, and obviously children were on the radar or, you know, plans,” she continued. “And that I think was like a double stab to the gut, and what I found probably harder than the words you have cancer.”
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‘I had a two-week window’
But miraculously, all was not lost, as Amy explained: “The NHS offers an incredible service, that once anyone is diagnosed with cancer, and especially if they have to go through chemotherapy, they are offered the chance to have their eggs removed, and put in the freezer.”
“Sometimes your body doesn’t respond, because you’re going through cancer,” Amy continued. “I had a two-week window. And in that two-week window, we managed,” she said. “And so we got embryos. Now we’ve got five little Amy and Bens.”
Unfortunately, Amy and Ben will have to “wait a little bit of time”, as Amy’s cancer feeds off her hormones so pregnancy isn’t currently advised.
However, it’s certainly hopeful news for the star, who recently shared that her latest check-up showed “no evidence of cancer”.
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