Celebrating 100 years of Bob Edwards
We gathered at Churchill College, Cambridge, to celebrate 100 years since the birth of Sir Robert Edwards, one of the most influential scientific figures of the 20th century –or as we all called him “Bob”
Bob was a Fellow of the college from 1979, the year after my birth, which was the culmination of his work alongside Patrick Steptoe and Jean Purdy bringing In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) to the world and helping millions of infertile couples.
A fantastic display of papers and items for the Churchill Archives about my birth was on display.
At the event were members of his family; Patrick Steptoe’s family; people who worked with Bob both at the college and at the Bourn Hall clinic he founded and those who admire his work or have had their lives changed by what he achieved.
I was part of a panel session called Robert Edwards’ Life and Legacy chaired by Roger Highfield, Director of the Science Museum Group. Each of us in turn told our stories of Bob to an audience of around 300 people.
Jenny Joy, Bob’s daughter and creator of his archive, talked about Bob the family man and how important her mother Ruth was as a fellow scientist working alongside Bob.
Professor Sir Richard Gardner, who was Bob’s PhD student and is an Oxford University lecturer gave everyone an insight into the early days in Cambridge working on embryos.
Emma Barnett, the BBC journalist, did not know Bob but she is one of the millions across the world to have had an IVF child and she spoke about the impact of Bob’s work on her life and those around her.
My old friend Dr Mike Macnamee, former CEO of Bourn Hall Clinc told how the pioneers developed the world’s first IVF clinic and the challenges they faced and Fiona Bennett, former executive editor of Reproductive BioMedicine Online Journal told how Bob founded the magazine in a barn in hios garden to help share information around the world to other specialists.
In my speech I told how Bob has always been part of my life. Bob and Patrick were like extra grandfathers to me.
I gradually learned as I grew up what being “the test tube baby” meant and the role that Bob had played in my birth.
I have great memories of going to Bourn Hall and having a big fuss made of me. Bob was a kind and lovely character. The parties at Bourn involved other IVF babies that had been born, and I was made to feel that I was part of a big family – and I still feel that today as I go around the world to IVF events and meet other people born through IVF.
I am convinced that it was not entirely an accident that my mum and dad were from a poor background. Dad was a lorry driver and mum had ordinary jobs. They were far from rich and after they first met were sleeping rough in railway carriages.
I think Bob wanted IVF to be for everyone, not just for the rich, and that was important to him in his well-known political views.
It was Bob that wrote to mum on December 9, 1977, informing her that she was pregnant. The letter has been deposited in a museum archive.
He said: “please take things quietly – no skiing, climbing or anything too strenuous including Xmas shopping!”
Of course, he knew mum was never likely to go skiing and climbing and that she would be Christmas shopping. Dad read the letter first – mum arrived at the house a little later and was carrying lots of bags from her Christmas shopping, which sent dad into a panic!
One of my best memories of Bob was when he came to my wedding. There was a photographer there from OK magazine taking pictures of me. Bob stayed quietly in the background. He wasn’t interested in the glory but it was great to have him there as one of the most important people in my life.
Later when I became pregnant, I made sure that Bob was the first person I told, after my parents. He was so pleased to see the legacy of IVF continuing to another generation.
He had also been delighted when my sister Natalie became pregnant and gave birth at the age of 16. She was the first IVF baby in the world to become pregnant naturally and it was another milestone and proof that there is nothing unusual about those born through the technique. It is fair to say that Bob was more pleased than my mum and dad about Natalie!
As I got older, I got to know Ruth and Jenny Joy and the whole family, and they have always been a special part of my world.
These days as I travel around the world to IVF events and clinics and on almost every trip there is an older doctor or IVF specialist who comes up to me and mentions that they knew Bob, tells me how he helped them through their early years or how much they learned from him.
This year I have stood in Greece, in Mexico, Croatia and Spain chatting about Bob to experts who have made a real difference in their own countries.
As part of the celebrations there had been a science and clinical practice discussion earlier in the day attended by many studying and working in the field. Many of those attended the talk I gave and it was amazing to meet so many people who played a part in the science that led to my birth and how it developed after, including Berry Bavister and Peter Brinsden.
Cambridge College invited us all to their alumni dinner, where everyone toasted Bob in his favourite drink – limoncello. His achievements mean that he will be remembered for many hundreds of years to come.