After ten years of trying to start a family and several unsuccessful fertility treatments, Monique and Frank, a couple from the Netherlands, came to IVF-Life Alicante in search of a new opportunity. They had been on a long journey filled with hope, waiting and disappointment, but they were not prepared to give up on their dream of becoming parents.
Today, their story has a name: Julia, their first daughter, who was born on 1 May 2026. Her birth has changed their lives and brought them back to our clinic, this time with their little girl in their arms, to reunite with the team who supported them throughout their treatment.
Monique and Frank's journey began in the Netherlands, where they underwent their first fertility treatments. After several attempts at artificial insemination and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) without achieving a pregnancy, they decided to explore other options.
Each treatment offered a new chance, but also carried the risk of facing yet another disappointment. Even so, there was one thing they both knew for certain: they wanted to keep looking for answers. "After so many disappointments, we didn't want to give up", they recall.
That was when they began researching other clinics and treatment options abroad. They discovered IVF-Life through social media and decided to book an initial free consultation, unaware that this decision would ultimately change their lives.
During their first visit to IVF-Life, they met Dr Isabel Herrera, who reviewed their medical history and suggested a different approach to help them achieve a pregnancy.
After so many unsuccessful treatments, Monique and Frank admit that it was difficult to let themselves feel hopeful again. However, they particularly remember the confidence with which the doctor explained her assessment of their case and the treatment options available.
"You want to believe that things will be different this time, but after so many disappointments, you're afraid to get your hopes up again. That's why finding a doctor who inspired so much confidence was so important", they explain.
For the couple, one of the most important things was feeling that their situation was being assessed individually, taking into account everything they had already been through. They also highlight the support they received throughout treatment, particularly because they lived in another country and needed to stay in regular contact with the medical team.
"Communication was excellent. Everything was very clear, and whenever we had a problem or a question, whether by phone or email, they got back to us quickly. We felt really well supported", they explain. Monique particularly remembers how reassuring it was to have the same people there for them throughout the process. "At other clinics, you feel more like a number. Here, you're treated as a person. You have your own doctor and a team who know your story".
After reviewing their case and considering the different options, Monique and Frank decided to begin IVF treatment using donor eggs. It was not an easy decision. For Monique, it meant coming to terms with the fact that her future child would not share her genetic make-up, something that initially left her with doubts and mixed feelings.
However, their desire to start a family was stronger than their fears, and they decided to take that step together. After their case had been assessed, the couple prepared for embryo transfer. This time, the outcome was different.
Monique remembers perfectly the day she received the news she had been waiting so many years for.
She had had a blood test to confirm whether she was pregnant, and waiting for the results felt endless. She kept checking her phone throughout the day until the call finally came. "When they told me the result was positive, I said, 'No, that can't be right.' It was unbelievable. We were so excited".
That afternoon, Monique was in the garden at home, enjoying the lovely weather. Her happiness was so obvious that her neighbours, who knew their story, immediately realised they had received good news.
On 1 May 2026, Julia Isabel, Monique and Frank's first daughter, was born. After ten years of trying to become parents, finally holding her in their arms was an experience that is difficult to put into words.
"Sometimes we still find it hard to believe she's here with us and that we can actually touch her. She was so tiny, so beautiful, with lots of hair and huge brown eyes… It was unbelievable", Monique recalls. During those first few days, the couple cherished every little moment with their daughter. After spending so long imagining what that meeting would be like, Julia was finally there with them.
"After ten years, you almost stop believing it will ever happen. And then, all of a sudden, there she is." Her birth also helped Monique put behind her the doubts she had initially felt about egg donation.
"I was scared. I wondered whether she would look like me, whether I would love her just as much or whether, when she was born, I would truly feel that she was my daughter. But she is completely mine. Even when I could feel her moving inside me, she was already my daughter".
A few months after Julia's birth, Monique and Frank returned to IVF-Life to visit Dr Isabel Herrera and the rest of the team.
This time, they were not coming in to start treatment or receive test results. They arrived with their daughter, whom everyone had been looking forward to meeting.
For Monique, this reunion was something she had imagined ever since she became pregnant. "It was something I wanted to do. If everything went well and she was born healthy, I wanted to come back and show her to everyone, because this is where her story began".
The visit also held a very special meaning for the family: Julia's middle name is Isabel, in honour of the doctor who supported them throughout the process. "It's a way of bringing this chapter of our lives to a close", Monique explains.
Although perhaps it is not quite the end of the story. The couple are already considering trying again so that Julia can have a brother or sister. "She's still very little, and we need to think it through, but we believe we'll give it another try. If it works, it would be wonderful. And if it doesn't, we're completely happy with her".
After everything they have been through, Monique and Frank have a message for anyone struggling to conceive and feeling that they are losing hope.
"Explore other opportunities, even abroad. Look beyond what is immediately available to you. Never give up on your dreams". They also believe it is important to understand your own case, ask questions, seek a second medical opinion when necessary and find out what alternatives are available after several unsuccessful treatments.
"After ten years, we didn't give up. We kept fighting and achieved the most beautiful outcome".
Today, as they enjoy their first few months as parents, Monique and Frank look back knowing that the journey was not easy. But they also know that every decision brought them closer to the moment they had been waiting for so long: finally holding Julia in their arms.
