Both Emma and John O’Connor, from Co. Cork, are carriers of mucolipidosis (ML), a gene that causes symptoms ranging from mild learning difficulties to mental retardation, and underwent treatment so their next child would be born without it.
The couple’s first child, Aoibhe, was born with ML, their second five-year-old Lauren was born without and now, thanks to the revolutionary treatment, little Megan, who was born last month, is also free of the disease.
The couple, who are from Co. Cork, underwent a PGD treatment which identifies embryos with common genetic disease and selects ones it considers safe as part of the IVF process.
Dr John Waterstone, Medical Director of Cork Fertility Centre, now wants the Government to provide funding for the treatment.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, he said: "(They) very rightly speak about preventative medicine being the way forward, and we should try to prevent disease rather than treat it when it occurs. PGD is surely one of the purest forms of preventative medicine."
"We've written to Leo Varadkar saying there is an effective PGD programme in Ireland and we think it should be helped and funded by the Department of Health," he added.
