Beth Warren dreamed of having a boy and a girl, but that dream was crushed when partner of 8 years, ski instructor Warren Brewer, died aged just 32.
Having battled with a brain tumour for 7 years of their relationship, Warren, who married Beth in hospital weeks before passing away, froze his sperm ahead of the gruelling cancer treatment that threatened to leave him infertile.
However, under new laws, the samples are to be destroyed within months of his passing.
Beth admits she may never be ready to have her late husband’s child. But she needs more time to decide whether to have a baby who will never meet its father.
Beth, 28, a physiotherapist from Birmingham says:
‘I am still trying to make myself happy again – you don’t have a child because you are lonely and heartbroken.
‘I need to make myself whole again. I want to be financially settled as well, so that my child can have everything I had. I am just a normal person who loved someone very, very much and lost them.’
Fertility watchdog Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority, said that it had ‘every sympathy’ with Mrs Warren, but could not extend the storage period without her husband’s consent.
Mourning her relationship, Beth explains:
‘We just fell head over heels in love. It was a long time ago that we made plans that when we are engaged and married we would have children.
‘Ideally we’d have a boy and a girl and we talked about names. I am just trying to do the right thing.’
Speaking about the right to be able to take her time over such a life-changing decision and long-standing dream, Beth says:
‘I have the full support of Warren’s family in my legal battle and in whatever decision I make, and they have told me how proud they are of how I am dealing with the situation.’