After leaving school I went to work with elderly and psychiatric patients in my local area, during this time I also worked as an Auxiliary Nurse in doctors surgeries and the local hospital and completed my Phlebotomy training. After five years I began working with children in a children’s home and also undertook agency work with families. I decided to return to college to gain my Advanced Diploma in Childcare and Education and intended to return to work within the childcare field. However, after completing my full-time course I was offered a post as a lecturer at the college teaching Childcare, Education and Care courses. Whilst teaching I continued my studies and gained a City and Guilds qualification in teaching and also my Certificate in Education. I continued to teach full-time and developed the NVQ in Care for the college in which I worked, I was also the Team Leader for BTEC in Childcare and taught on, among others, Childcare, Counselling, Psychology and Sociology based courses.

After four years I left teaching and took up a position within the local Youth Service, here I was responsible for development and running of a young persons mentoring project (REACH). This was aimed at young people who had either been excluded, or, who were at risk of exclusion from school. I was also responsible for the development and progression of a young carers workshop (CHIL) that worked with local young people who were responsible for looking after family members on a full time basis. This post continued for a further two years at which time I decided to go into business with my brother. We opened our own children’s shop catering for all baby needs, but, based upon an environmentally friendly theme of recycling and re-using. We opened our own agency selling ‘previously enjoyed baby goods’ for the public and promoted fair trade and recycled goods. The business was highly successful and continued for a further two years, however, during this time I undertook my first course of ICSI which resulted in my twin girls, this made running a shop near impossible and we were forced to close - I am still asked to this day when we will open again.

I returned to work for the Youth Service on a consultancy basis for six months during 2006, but then returned to Sweden for my second course of ICSI resulting in my third daughter and lead me on to start IVFSS.

Dr Urban Waldenström - Falun Hospital

Dr Waldenstrom  has worked and been an expert in the field of IVF for 15 years, working at the IVF-unit in Falun since the start. Since entering the world of IVF he has also worked in Gothenburg and Australia.

Now, often hired as a public speaker and at medical congresses to doctors, he is also a medical adviser for the board of IRIS (National Infertility Organisation of Sweden). Dr Waldenstrom has written many published papers on the topic of Infertility and its treatment and have developed many new technics, which he now teaches to other consultants around the world. Dr Waldenstrom is currently working on research around hormone stimulation before IVF and long term cultivation and fertilitsation of eggs.

For more information please see the Falun Hospital website, you can find this download on the Sweden Programme page.

Professor Staffan Nilsson - Falun Hospital

Professor Nilsson has been expert in the subject infertility for 20 years and has worked at the IVF-unit in Falun since its start. He is renowned for his work surrounding the contraceptive pill and breast-feeding and is formerly director of “Women´s medical service” in Falun with a solid experience in all gynaecology and obstetric work.

Dr Nilsson is a Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Uppsala University, Sweden, but is situated in Falun and carries out all of his clinical work from there. Dr Waldenstrom and Professor Nilsson started the IVF Clinic in Falun together in 1989.