A woman who transformed her body following a gastric operation is having a sperm donor's baby with her husband's blessing - after he had a vasectomy.
Kylie Evans, 35, from Bury, longed to have a baby but was not able to have a child with husband Mick, 63, who underwent the procedure 28 years before they met.
Despite their 28-year age gap, the pair were determined to start a family and tried to conceive using a sperm donor who matched Mick's appearance - via a clinic.
The couple spent about £6,000 on their fertility treatment and requested the donor carry similar physical traits to Mick like his blue eye and his 5'7 height.
Unfortunately, Kylie wasn’t ovulating correctly and unable to fall pregnant, and doctors said her BMI was too high to qualify for IVF.
At her biggest, she was tipping the scales at 24st 13lb and squeezing into a dress size 26.
The determined couple saved “every penny” for Kylie to undergo weight loss surgery – forking at £7,000 for a gastric operation in Riga, Latvia.
After losing 13 stone dropping down to 12st 10lb, and a size 14, Kylie was delighted to fall pregnant naturally after inseminating herself with a sperm from a donor in October 2023.
Kylie is now 36 weeks pregnant and the couple are ''over the moon'' to be expecting their son in July 2024.
Kylie, who works as a waitress, said: "Mick was more than happy using a sperm donor.
"The clinic helped us pick one out that would match his looks - his hair colour, his eyes and height.
"You don't see a photo but get a description.
"The weight loss surgery completely turned my life around, we wouldn't be having a baby with it.
"We can't wait to be parents."
Kylie said she was ''always bigger" but really started gaining weight in her late teens.
She was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) – a condition that affects ovulation.
Kylie believes that contributed to her weight gain, as well working two jobs – a café in the day and an Italian restaurant during the evening.
She would always skip breakfast and eat food during her shifts.
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She said: “The Italians love to feed you – and I couldn’t say no.
“I’d pick at pizza and pasta all evening while I worked.
“Then I’d come with leftovers and binge on food all night."
Kylie met her age gap husband Mick when he was a customer at the pub she worked at in 2008.
She said: "A sperm donor was the cheapest route, and it doesn’t matter to us how the baby is made.
“We knew we'd love them no matter what."
The pair spent six years trying to conceive with ''no progress at all''.
Doctors said her BMI was too high for IVF on the NHS, and the waitlist for weight loss surgery in the UK would be nearly six years.
Kylie said: “I was getting older, and it was crunch time for me.
“If I didn’t lose the weight, it might have been too late to have a baby.”
The couple got to work saving the money for Kylie to undergo weight loss surgery abroad.
It took them nearly eight months to save up £7,000 but in January 2022, Kylie finally had the procedure.
She said: “We worked two jobs, seven days a week, and managed to save up the money.
“Mick came with me, and it was absolutely amazing.
"The nurses were great and everything went really smoothly."
On returning to the UK, Kylie said the weight "literally dropped off" - losing a whopping 13 stone.
She swapped her unhealthy snacks for whole foods like rice, chicken and vegetables.
The couple were ready to start trying for a child again, and Kylie noticed her periods going back to "normal".
As she was ovulating again, Kylie attempting using a sperm donor again and artificially inseminated herself in October 2023.
To their delight, Kylie had a positive pregnancy test in November 2023, and the couple found out they're expecting a little boy.
She said: "I've had a terrible time during pregnancy - I won't do it again.
"But it'll all be worth it.
"My life, my confidence, my health, the way I feel about myself, everything has changed dramatically after surgery.
"If anyone is considering it, I say do it.
"It's the best decision I ever made."
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