This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-18524232#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Lesley Brown, mother of first test tube baby, dies in Bristol | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The woman who gave birth to the world's first test tube baby has died. | The woman who gave birth to the world's first test tube baby has died. |
| Lesley Brown, 64, who lived in Whitchurch, Bristol, made history in July 1978 when her daughter Louise was born at Oldham General Hospital. | Lesley Brown, 64, who lived in Whitchurch, Bristol, made history in July 1978 when her daughter Louise was born at Oldham General Hospital. |
| Mrs Brown had been trying for a baby with her husband John for nine years before she became the first woman to give birth following IVF treatment. | Mrs Brown had been trying for a baby with her husband John for nine years before she became the first woman to give birth following IVF treatment. |
| She died at the Bristol Royal Infirmary on 6 June with her family by her side, it has been announced. | |
| She successfully conceived following pioneering treatment by Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards. | |
| She leaves behind daughters Louise and Natalie, who were both born following IVF treatment, her stepdaughter Sharon and five grandchildren. | |
| Her husband died five years ago. | |
| A private funeral service was held in Bristol on Wednesday morning. | |
| Mrs Brown's daughter Louise said: "Mum was a very quiet and private person who ended up in the world spotlight because she wanted a family so much. | |
| "We are all missing her terribly." | |
| Dr Steptoe and Prof Edwards set up the Bourn Hall Clinic in Cambridge two years after Louise Brown's birth. It has now become a leading centre for IVF treatment. | |
| Speaking on behalf of Prof Edwards and the team at the clinic, chief executive Mike Macamee said: "Lesley was a devoted mum and grandmother and through her bravery and determination many millions of women have been given the chance to become mothers. | |
| "She was a lovely, gentle lady and we will all remember her with deep affection." | |
| Speaking in 2008, Mrs Brown said she had been so desperate to have a baby that she was willing to put up with anything to give birth. | |
| Her blocked fallopian tubes meant getting pregnant naturally was impossible. | |
| In 1976, she heard about new research and was referred to Dr Steptoe, after which she agreed to the experimental procedure. | |
| Although other women had been implanted with fertilised eggs, Mrs Brown was the first to achieve a pregnancy which went beyond a few weeks. |