 My name is Anna Edwards. I live in Kent, in England. We live in a pretty rural, rural spot so very much enjoy the outdoors and lovely walks in the countryside and in the woods. We're actually not too far from the sea either so we get to take advantage of some coastal walks as well. And I'm currently working for NHS England, heading up our National Staff Intention Programme. So I've had brain disease since I was 19 years old. When I was first diagnosed I was told it would be a mild inconvenience for me. And since then, so over the last 25 years, I've had multiple major surgeries and then all the complications that go with that. But about six years ago now, my husband and I decided that we would like to try for a family. We went to the consultant and was told that we were eligible to try IVF and so fertility treatment. Which was really exciting and actually a wonderful piece of news because I just didn't think it would ever be a possibility. So we went through that process and I kept sort of saying, you know, have you taken account of my medical history and quite worried, you know, are you sure that you've considered this? And I was told that it was fine and, you know, it wouldn't be a problem. However, a few days into the treatment, because of all the surgery I'd had, I had a significant amount of scar tissue in my pelvis. And what that meant was that things couldn't move around as you would expect. I contacted the hospital. I'm about an hour, an hour and a quarter away from the hospital. I contacted them to say I was in a significant amount of pain and I was told to stay at home and it was probably just something called a variant heart stimulation syndrome. And I said, I know my body. I've been doing serious illness for 20 years. This doesn't feel right. And I'm the last person to want to go into hospital. I've done many years of being in hospital. But right now this is pretty frightening, the amount of pain I'm in. But yeah, they still told me to stay at home and I'm afraid it was my patient's prerogative and decided to travel up to the hospital despite that advice. And I'm glad I did because the urologist at the hospital came in and said to me, we can't get your kidneys to work and I'm not sure you're going to make it through the night. It was about one o'clock in the morning by time they knew what treatment that I needed. But the intervention of radiologists didn't want to do that too in the morning on a Sunday night. But the urologist who was caring for me has told me since that he had to threaten that individual with his job if he didn't come in because he knew I wouldn't survive the night. That individual did come in, they did the procedure, which I was awake for. So at this stage there had been a medical error in terms of the amount of drugs I'd had and the lack of care I'd had given my medical history. The lack of appreciation for the fact that my pelvis would have an awful lot of scar tissue in it and would perhaps not act in the same way as others. But also a near miss because of the decision that the urologist was attempting to make which could have cost me my life. It was incredibly frightening and there was an awful lot of absolutely fantastic care that evening. But sadly during the episode from beginning to end some of the care let me down. I'm pleased to say that I woke up the next morning. I'm very well now. Following that incident we did have an awful lot of embryos but sadly maybe fortunately the IVF round didn't work. I was able to do another round with my best friend, Surrogate, and she did fall pregnant but sadly miscarried. And we then adopted and we have the most wonderful little boy who we adopted when he was nine months old and he is now as I say five and he is the greatest miracle for us. So in many ways you know you go through these journeys and the right thing happens in the end. Whatever that is it happens and he is very much the right thing for us. He is an absolute superstar and you know brings joy to my life and my husband's life every day. I think and I'd like to think that lessons have been learned. I was told many many times after that incident that it was a one in a million situation. And I don't doubt that but I won't be the only woman in her 30s going for IVF who's had a lot of pelvic surgery. Listen to your patients. They absolutely know when does something doesn't feel right. I think there is a need for humility as a healthcare professional. I think it's important to sometimes accept. We have to always accept that patients are partners in their care and they should be respected and heard in every exchange because they're gold dust and if they're ignored all that's happening is we're missing opportunities. Missing opportunities to save lives and missing opportunities to make care the best it can be.