Couple denied 'designer baby' to save son's life

A couple who want to have a "designer baby" to cure their seriously ill son of a rare blood disorder were refused permission to have fertility treatment yesterday.

Jayson and Michelle Whitaker wanted IVF treatment to have a baby who would provide a perfect match for a bone marrow transplant for their three-year-old son, Charlie. Without the transplant he is unlikely to live beyond the age of 30.

But the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority ruled that doctors in Britain could not give the couple the treatment, which would involve taking cells from the baby and transplanting them into Charlie's bone marrow.

The couple, from Oxford, said they were "absolutely devastated" by the decision and will go to the United States to get treatment for Charlie, who suffers from Diamond Blackfan Anaemia (DBA), which stops him from producing enough red blood cells.

"I don't think they understand Charlie's disorder," said Mr Whitaker. "I don't think anyone knows what he goes through." Their son needs to take drugs every day and a blood transfusion every three weeks. His only chance is if bone marrow can be donated by a sibling who is a perfect match.

Although the Whitakers have a daughter, she is only a 50 per cent match and another child born naturally would have only a 25 per cent chance of being a perfect match. The Whitakers wanted the IVF process to include screening embryos to ensure a match. But HFEA rules allow pre-implantation diagnosis of embryos only if they risk inheriting serious genetic disorders.

A spokeswoman for the HFEA said the decision had been "incredibly difficult" but screening could not be allowed just to ensure a successful marrow match.