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Press Release PRESS RELEASE GIRLS DO GOOD: REAL-LIFE SUPERHEROES REDEFINING WHAT IT PRESSMEANS TO BE RELEASE A ‘GOOD GIRL’ NEW NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK uses beautiful illustrations, tech and powerful NEW stories8 MILLION of remar IkVFable BABIES real-life BORNgirls to THROUGHinspire young I VFreaders – WHAt’s to bust next? BOOK stereotypesBreakthrough and Babies transf orm– insider the wscientistorld reveals the cutting-edge discoveries that are changing the human race (disease eradication, delaying menopause, BOOK selecting Wgender)hy this book matters: s Uses͗Educational͗Technology͗ BY JOS DIRKX (EdTech)͗– Augmented Reality and Designed by Jade Isaks Illustrated by ̭͗ Features͗11͗inspiring͗young͗girls͗ The changing perceptions of IVF – Initially, people Bianca de Jong WHY THISwho BOOK͗are͗changing MATTERS͗the͗world – fromaccused Simonbridge of “playingbetwee God.”n te cHehn facedology a and3-year pri legalnt. Afghanistan and the USA to Columbia caseand and was almost imprisoned for murder. Breakthrough BabiesInd oisn ae first-handsia – and sha accountres th fromeir re mara kabl e s Brilliant͗resource͗to͗help͗parents͗talk͗ leading IVF scientiststo -ri Professores in a fun, Simon ligh Fishelt-hear workedted an d The FUTUREto ͗oftheir IVF ͗–children We are now͗about able ͗toissues enhance such human with the duo that createdaccessible the first wa IVFy, w baby.ith be Heauti pioneeredful illust rationhealths foreveras t throughransgende choosingr righ healthyts, globa embryosl warming, and the microinjection of sperm into eggs, and founded CARE eradicatingautism genetic and diseases child – marriage. but how far will we permit A – the UK’s largest fertility provider. science to go? s The͗book͗celebrates͗girls’͗ s Foreword͗by͗Nobel͗Peace͗Prize͗ achievements͗and͗motivates͗readers͗ Includes foreword written by the world’s first test tube UnearthingWinner the science͗Ley mabehind͗Gb delayingowee͗and the͗CEO ͗of͗ to͗follow͗in͗their͗footsteps – these baby, born in 1978 – Louise Brown hit the headlines as menopauseHuda –Simon’s͗Beauty most͗Huda recent͗ Kattanground-breaking work the first ever baby includeborn through mas tIVF.erminding a life-changing has discovered how to actually delay the menopause! invention at 8 years old, a pair of girls s Uses͗both͗Augmented͗Reality͗(AR)͗ campaigning to reduce plastic waste in Professor Simon Fishel worked with the team that created the first IVF baby in 1978, and for 10 years with theand Nobel͗traditional Prize winner͗colouring for IVF, Professor͗pages –Sir Robert Edwards. His new book Breakthrough Babies, offers a Indglimpseone sia,behind and the a y oscenesung g irof l eonesc aofp theing biggesta scientific achievements of the 20th century – and where BRING YOUR meaning the book stands strong on its AR STORIES TO we can expect it to go from here. LIFE... forced marriage to continue her education. own but also works as an online activity. IVF has helped bring 8 million babies into the world. In 40 years it’s live birth rate has tripled, and it is now more efficient than natural conception. It’s almost entirely accepted within even strict religions and is offered on the NHS in the UK – but only a few decades ago IVF was associated with controversy and shame. ‘All around the world, girls are identifyings thingsUses Edu thcaationalt they T echnology‘Owning (EdTech) and accepting that you are special before Breakthroughwant to change. Babies describes The stories first-hand in Girls just Dohow Good far attitudes are just have a changed withinany theone last e lse40 years. does In thecan early no tstages, only epeoplempo wbelieveder you, Simon but andoth theers team, were doing the “devil’s work.” Some even tried to get Simon imprisoned for murder. snapshot of the creativity and problem-solving abilities of too! You can change the world, like all of the other However,girls.’ - Simon’sLeymah work Gb hasow revolutionisedee, Noble P humaneace reproduction.Prize Winne Her anddiscovered wherelittle hCG girls (the in pregnancy this book hormone.’ - Huda now K detectedattan, Beautin pregnancyy blo tests)gge rwas, first secreted, demonstrated for the first time that infertility is not just a female issue (around 40-50% of fertility problems are from men) and developed a technique toF injectounde singler o fsperm Gbow intoee eggs. Pea cHee wasFound invitedation by theAfrica WHO to introduce IVF in China,entre helpingprene tou rcreate & CE theO ofirstf Huda Chinese Beaut test tubey babies. Some parents were so grateful, they even named their babies after him. Girls Do Good tells eleven stories of young women and girls changing the world. This powerful new book motivates The possibility for improving the human race Breakthrough Babies shows that IVF is no longer just about creating life. It The practice of IVF is still evolving, and with each new development can now be used to create ‘saviour siblings’ to help cure older children with morewa yethicals of t questionsreating people emerge: – no matter what faith, skin-colour, terminalnationalit illnesses,y or gende and it rhas th eredefinedy are. It helpsfamily life!fos tIne rthe ke future,y values we omightf be Should couples be able to choose an embryo based on its sex? able to select embryos free from genetic diseases, and might even be able to provide gay and lesbian couples with their own genetic children. How far should we be allowed to change embryo genetic make-up? colouring in sheets are included to aid young readers in learning about the lives of inspirational girls like them. Should we screen for genetic diseases and only select healthy embryos? Should single men be offered IVF, with an egg donor and surrogate? Breakthrough Babies is published by Practical Inspiration, Built for a digital age but also able to stand strong on its ownout – the14th book March, uses priced the £14.99,EdTech available moveme fromnt and Amazon. Augmented Reality to encourage sensory learning and bridge the gap between technology and print. Through downloading the “Girls ABOUT THE AUTHOR Simon Fishel is the Founder and Do Good” app readers canPresident explo ofre the the CAR bookE Fertility with Group thei r deviEXces,CLUSI “collectingVE ARTI tCoolLESs” andAND pl INTERaying VgamesIEWS AalongVAILABLE: the way. The – the UK’s largest independent Professor Simon Fishel has been interviewed on CNN, Channel 4 and BBC News. He is provider of fertility services. He available for expert comment, interview and to write by-lined articles on IVF, including: began his research career at the University of Cambridge in 1975 with THE POWER OF FEMALEBob Edwards, STORI who EwasS responsible Stigma and shame: why mothers had IVF A step too far” – Why is scientific progress in secret in the 1980s (Mother’s Day 31st - with Patrick Steptoe - for the birth always met with backlash? March) Girls Do Good opens up a ofsa thefe firstspa IVFce babyfor yLouiseoun gBrown read ers Laura the Sailor (23) – Laura sailed solo around the world to learn and talk about moind 1978.ern issues across world. on a two-year trip. She journaled about the penguins, seals, How I helped thousands of people have IVF - No longer just about creating Through learning about some of the amazing things globalthe babiesbi theyrds, wanted: whale Ands and how dolphins I lost she saw along the way. Simon joined Patrick and Bob almost everything in the process babies, also changing the health of the changemakers are doing, atyoun Bourng Hall,read thee rsworld’s are firstenc ourages to human race s Ashleigh the Singer (19) – Ashleigh has autism which can dedicatedthink ab IVFout clinic, the asir oDeputywn li vScientifices and Directortheir vewhenrsi oit nopened of go ino d. Progress prevention? How restrictions 1980, where he was part of the original clinical team undertaking IVF. His hinder scientificmake discoveriesit hard to make new friends – but through her music she pioneering work in the field of IVF has resulted in many honorary awards has found a way to connect wiWeth haveother thes. power to enhance human around the world. He is the founder of the Rachel Foundation, a charity The eradication of genetic diseases and health – so why aren’t we doing it? for research to help children rendered infertile due to medical treatment, curing terminal illnesses: what to expect ands M toa helpslati a raisend awarenessIsabel th fore Esecondarynvironmen infertility.talists (17 and 15) – in the futures April of IVF the Activist (19) – April was born a boy and now Malati and Isabel were sad that animals on their island Preventing the menopause: the game- He received an Honorary Fellowship from Liverpool John Moores What was once novel and shocking changing scientific development Universityin Indonesia for “Outstanding were contributions harmed b toy humanityplastic andbag sciences. The iny the star ted is now theunderstand norm – how IVF – went but fromApri l works to remind others that it’s ok to happening right now fieldpickin of fertilityg up treatment hund includingreds of bembryologyags eve randy w IVF.”eek. “devil’s work” to normality For further information, an interview with Simon Fishel, a guest article or a review copy of Breakthrough Babies, please contact: NATALIE CONNORS [email protected] or ELLA DAVID SON [email protected] .
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