In the winter of 1979, amidst a fierce snowstorm in Glasgow, a medical miracle reached a historic milestone. Grace MacDonald gave birth to her son, Alastair, who became the first boy in the world born through in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Now, 46 years on, she reflects on the pioneering journey that defied the odds and created her family.
A Diagnosis of Despair and a Search for Hope
Grace MacDonald's path to motherhood was fraught with heartbreak. In 1972, at just 26 years old and working as a college lecturer near Glasgow, she was told by her gynaecologist that her blocked fallopian tubes meant she could not conceive naturally. "I was devastated," she recalls. With adoption prospects slim, she refused to accept a future without children.
For three years, she researched tirelessly. Then, she learned of the groundbreaking, experimental work of gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe and physiologist Robert Edwards. She wrote to Steptoe, and after a year of rigorous tests, she was accepted onto their free, pioneering IVF programme.
"Bob [Edwards] explained it all in layperson's terms," Grace says, describing how her egg would be fertilised with her husband's sperm in a petri dish before being implanted. Despite public scepticism over 'test-tube babies', she felt only delight. "It was my only chance."
The Emotional Rollercoaster of a Medical First
The first attempt, in February 1977, failed. "It broke my heart," Grace remembers. But supported by Steptoe, Edwards, and nurse embryologist Jean Purdy, she found the strength to try again. Hope was bolstered when fellow programme participant Lesley Brown gave birth to Louise Brown, the world's first IVF baby, in 1978.
Grace's second attempt began in May 1978. Two weeks after the embryo transfer, her hope was confirmed: she was pregnant with what would be only the second IVF baby ever.
Labour began during a heavy snowstorm. Steptoe and Edwards set out from England to Glasgow for the planned caesarean, but were severely delayed. They made frantic phone calls from the road to advise the local gynaecologist. On 14 January 1979, Grace's son, Alastair, was born weighing 5lb 12oz.
"My longed-for baby was suddenly here. I was overcome with emotion," Grace says. "When they handed him to me... I started to cry. He didn't cry. He just looked at me. It was a look I'll never forget."
A Lifelong Bond and a Lasting Legacy
Today, Alastair is a 46-year-old First Officer in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. "He is still the most important person in my life," Grace states. They share a love of travel, having journeyed around the world together, from sleeping under Australian stars to climbing New Zealand's Fox Glacier.
Grace also cherishes the unbreakable bond with the four other women from the original programme, united by their shared struggle and hope. She looks back with profound gratitude, not only for her son but for playing a part in a medical revolution.
"We owe the miracle of Alastair's existence entirely to Bob, Patrick and Jeanie," she affirms. Their dedication paved the way for the more than 13 million IVF births that have followed. "I was in the right place at the right time – and I will always count myself blessed as a result."
