[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> SO, IMAGINE BEING DIAGNOSED
WITH CANCER AT JUST 19 YEARS OLD
AND THEN TOLD THAT THE TREATMENT
TO SAVE YOUR LIFE WOULD LEAVE
YOU INFERTILE.
THAT WAS THE REALITY FOR AMY
TUCKER, UNTIL A GROUNDBREAKING
PROCEDURE, ONE THAT YOU PROBABLY
NEVER HAVE HEARD OF BEFORE
TODAY, GAVE HER HOPE.
HERE IS HER STORY.
>> MY MOM INSPIRED ME TO BE A
NURSE.
>> Reporter: AMY TUCKER BEGAN
NURSING SCHOOL IN 1997.
JUST ONE YEAR INTO HER STUDIES,
IN A DEVASTATING TWIST OF FATE,
SHE BECAME THE PATIENT.
A BIOPSY OF A LARGE LYMPH NODE
REVEALED SHE HAD HODGKIN'S LIMB
LYMPHO
LYMPHOMA.
>> I REMEMBER CRYING, WHY ME?
WHY NOW?
>> Reporter: AMY ENDURED SIX
MONTHS OF CHEMOTHERAPY, WENT
INTO REMISSION AND RESUMED
CLASSES.
>> I WAS LIKE, LIFE IS GOOD.
THEN, TWO MONTHS LATER, WHEN I
WENT IN FOR A CHECKUP, THERE WAS
A SPOT AGAIN.
>> Reporter: AT JUST 20 YEARS
OLD, SHE WAS ONCE MORE FIGHTING
FOR HER LIFE.
DOCTORS TOLD HER THE NEW ROUND
OF CHEMO WOULD LIKELY MAKE HER
STERILE.
RIGHT BEFORE THE TREATMENTS
BEGAN, A NURSE TOLD HER ABOUT A
NEW PROCEDURE THAT COULD
PRESERVE HER OVARIAN TISSUE.
>> SHE SAID IT WAS EXPERIMENTAL.
IT WORKED IN SHEEP AND RATS.
WE DON'T KNOW IF IT WORKS IN
HUMANS.
I LOOKED AT MY PARENTS AND SAID,
THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO IF I
WANT TO HAVE A FAMILY.
WE HAD A QUICK DECISION TO HAVE
IT REMOVED.
>> Reporter: AMY MET WITH A
PIONEER IN TISSUE PRESERVATION
AT ST. LUKE'S IN ST. LOUIS.
USING LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY, THEY
REMOVED HER RIGHT OVARY.Y
>> THEY TOOK THE OUTER LAYER OF
THE TISSUE AND DIVIDED IT INTO
THREE SECTIONS AND FROZE THEM.
>> Reporter: THAT CONTAINED THE
FOLLICLES THAT COULD PRODUCE
EGGS, AND WOULD BE IN STORAGE
FOR YEARS.
AFTER A GRUELING ROUND OF
CHEMOTHERAPY, RADIATION AND A
BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT, AMY WAS
CANCER-FREE AND READY TO MOVE
FORWARD IN LIFE.
>> I'VE ALWAYS BEEN BEST FRIENDS
WITH MY HUSBAND.
SO, JASON KNEW THAT THERE WAS A
POSSIBILITY THAT WE WOULDN'T BE
ABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN OF OUR
OWN.
>> Reporter: AMY WAS NOW 31.
AND THE COUPLE'S ONLY HOPE TO
CONCEIVE A CHILD WAS TO
TRANSPLANT TISSUE FROM THE
OVARY, EXTRACTED AND PRESERVED
11 YEARS EARLIER.
>> WE WERE TALKING A BIG GAMBLE.
THERE WASN'T A LOT OF RESEARCH
BEING REIMPLANTED.
WE KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE ONE
OF THE FIRST IF IT WORKED TO
PRODUCE A BABY AT ALL.
>> AMY TUCKER IS WITH ME NOW.
GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> WHEN YOU FIRST GOT THE CANCER
DIAGNOSIS, HOW BAD DID THEY SAY
THE PROGNOSIS WAS?
>> I HAD HODGKIN'S.
I WAS STAGE 3B.
WE STARTED OFF WITH JUST
CHEMOTHERAPY.
>> THEN WHAT HAPPENED?
IT SEEMED TO COME BACK WITH A
VENGEAN
VENGEANCE.
>> CORRECT.
TWO MONTHS LATER FROM STOPPING
THE CHEMOTHERAPY, I WENT BACK
FOR A CHECKUP AND THE CANCER WAS
BACK.
WE LEARNED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO
DO AN AUTO STEM CELL TRANSPLANT.
I WAS ABLE TO USE MY OWN BONE
MARROW STEM CELLS.
AND WITH THAT WOULD BE MORE
INTENSE CHEMOTHERAPY AND
RADIATION, TOTAL-BODY RADIATION
INCLUDED, THAT WOULD LEAVE ME
STERILE.
>> YOU'RE 20 YEARS OLD AND
MAKING THIS CHOICE FOR THE REST
OF YOUR LIFE.
>> CORRECT.
>> DID YOU KNOW IF YOU WANTED
CHILDREN?
>> YOU KNOW, WE COME FROM BIG
FAMILIES.
I THINK I ALWAYS WANTED CHILDREN
AND I JUST ASSUMED I WOULD HAVE
A LARGE FAMILY.
AT THE TIME, I DIDN'T SPEND A
LOT OF TIME RESEARCHING WHAT I
COULD DO TO PRESERVE MY
FERTILITY BECAUSE I WAS IN
COLLEGE.
ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS NOT MISS
OUT ON SCHOOL.
LET ME GO TO COLLEGE.
IF I WENT CHEMO ON THE SIDE.
>> WHAT MADE YOU SAY YES TO THIS
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE AS
OPPOSED TO DOING THIS THING THAT
MANY WOMEN HAVE DONE, WHICH IS
HAVE THE EGGS FROZEN?
>> A LOT OF IT WAS TIME.
WE HAD TO START CHEMOTHERAPY
RIGHT AWAY TO DO THE TRANSPLANT.
>> THAT'S KEY.
SO MANY WOMEN DELAY THE CANCER
TREATMENT WHILE THEY'RE GOING
THROUGH WHAT CAN BE SEVERAL
WEEKS TO GET YOUR EGGS
HARVESTED.
YOU HAVE TO GROW THEM AND SHOOT
YOURSELF UP.
>> CORRECT.
WE WERE BASICALLY GETTING --
MEETING FOR CONSENTS FOR THE
TRANSPLANT, THE NURSE HAD TOLD
US ABOUT THIS PROCEDURE, WHERE
YOU COULD FREEZE YOUR OVARY
TISSUE.
AND IT SEEMED SIMPLE ENOUGH.
AND MY PARENTS AND I TALKED
ABOUT IT BRIEFLY.
WE'RE LIKE, LET'S DO IT.
AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T DELAY THE
CHEMO AND I CAN GET BACK TO
SCHOOL, I'LL DO WHATEVER.
WE WENT IN FOR THE PROCEDURE,
HAD THE OVERNIGHT STAY.
AND THEN, TWO DAYS LATER, WE
WERE DRIVING UP TO GET MY CHEMO
TREATMENT.
>> TODAY, YOU'RE CANCER-FREE?
>> YES.
CORRECT.
>> THANK GOD.
AND NOT ONLY ARE YOU CANCER-FREE
BUT HOW MANY CHILDREN DO YOU
HAVE?
>> WE HAVE FOUR BEAUTIFUL
CHILDREN.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> IT'S SO MIRACULOUS HOW THIS
WENT DOWN.
BUT IT WAS NOT THAT SIMPLE.
THEY HAD -- I KNOW, HEAR HER
BEAUTIES.
THEY DID THE TRANSFER OF THE
OVARY LAYER TO THE OTHER OVARY.
BUT THEN, SOME THINGS HAPPENED
BEFORE BABIES ONE AND NUMBER
FOUR.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT WHEN WE COME
BACK
[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> SO, WE'RE HERE NOW WITH AMY
TUCKER.
WHEN SHE WAS JUST 20 YEARS OLD
AND FACING CANCER TREATMENT THAT
WOULD LEAVE HER INFERTILE, SHE
UNDERWENT A THEN-EXPERIMENTAL
PROCEDURE.
SHE HAD ONE ENTIRE OVARY REMOVED
AND FROZEN.
NOW, SHE'S CANCER-FREE AND
MOTHER TO FOUR CHILDREN.
WITH US IS SHERMAN SILVER, AMY'S
DOCTOR, WHO PIONEERED THIS
TREATMENT IN THE U.S.
HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE
INFERTILITY CLINIC IN ST. LOUIS.
HE'S BEEN TRYING TO BRING BABIES
INTO THE WORLD SINCE THE
BEGINNING OF TIME, BEING THE
FIRST TO REVERSE A VASECTOMY.
HOW OLD ARE YOUR KIDS NOW?
>> I HAVE A 7 1/2-YEAR-OLD, A
20-MONTH-OLD, AND THEN, TWIN
4-MONTH-OLD GIRLS.
>> AND TWINS RUN IN YOUR FAMILY.
>> TWINS RUN IN MY FAMILY.
YES.
>> YOU HAD THE FIRST LAYER, I
ENVISION IT LIKE A HARD BOILED
EGG.
I'M GOING TO LET DR. SILVER
EXPLAIN IT PROPERLY IN A MINUTE.
YOU HAVE YOUR BABY, YOUR FIRST
BABY.
THEN, NOTHING.
>> THE OVARY TISSUE STARTED
WORKING RIGHT AWAY.
I HAD MY FIRST PERIOD IN SIX
MONTHS AND WE WERE PREGNANT BY
SEPTEMBER.
WE IMPLANTED IN JANUARY AND I
WAS PREGNANT BY SEPTEMBER.
LIFE WAS GOOD.
WE WERE OVERWHELMED LIKE OUR
MIRACLE BABY WAS HERE.
AND WITH NO ADDITIONAL MEDICINES
OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT --
>> YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH
IVF.
THEN WHAT HAPPENED?
>> THEN, WE WAITED SIX YEARS.
WE HAD TO DO A SECOND
TRANSPLANT.
>> ANOTHER SLICE.
ANOTHER EGG SLICE GOES ON THERE.
AND IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
>> IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
THAT WAS IN FOR A COUPLE YEARS.
I HAD PERIODS BUT WE WEREN'T
ABLE TO CONCEIVE A CHILD OFF
THAT.
>> THE THIRD EGG SLICE WAS THE
EXAMPLE.
OFF OF THAT, YOU GOT THREE MORE
CHILDREN.
THAT IS THE LAYMAN'S
EXPLANATION.
WHY IS THIS SAFER THAN HAVING
YOUR EGGS TAKEN OUT AND STORED.
>> FOR CANCER PATIENTS IT'S
IDEAL TO GET THE OVARY OUT AND
NOT DELAY CANCER TREATMENT.
THE TREATMENT WASN'T AVAILABLE
WHEN AMY HAD HER OVARY FROZEN,
YOU CAN DO THAT, THAT'S AN
OPTION.
BUT MANY WOMEN FIND IT
EXPENSIVE.
AND YOU HAVE TO GO THREE OR FOUR
CYCLES TO HAVE ASSURANCE OF
FERTILITY.
YOU NEED 20 OR 40 EGGS.
THAT'S BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN MANY
PAPERS.
IT'S A LOT TO GO THROUGH FOR
EQUIVALENT IVF PROCEDURES.
>> HOW MANY EGGS DO YOU GET IF
YOU TAKE OUT THE WHOLE OVARY?
>> 200,000 EGGS.
>> YOUR ODDS ARE WAY UP THERE.
WHAT ABOUT THE FEAR -- I WOULD
BE FEARFUL THAT MY BODY WAS
DEALING WITH CANCER, THE OVARY
YOU TOOK OUT OF ME HAD NOT BEEN
RADIATED OR TREATED WITH CHEMO.
IS THERE FEAR OF PUTTING TISSUE
BACK IN THE BODY FROM A
CANCER-RIDDEN BODY?
>> THAT WAS OUR ORIGINAL FEAR.
I WARNED AMY OF THAT IN 1998,
THAT WE PROBABLY WILL NEVER BE
ABLE TO USE THIS TISSUE,
ALTHOUGH IT WORKS WELL IN SHEEP
AND IN MICE, BECAUSE WE'RE
WORRIED ABOUT PUTTING CANCER
CELLS BACK.
MANY, MANY STUDIES SUBSEQUENT TO
THAT SHOWED THAT THE CANCER
CELLS DON'T GO TO THE OVARIAN
CORE TEXT.
IT'S NOT THE ENTIRE OVARY, IT'S
THE OUTER LAYER.
IT'S THE SHELL THAT HAS ALL OF
THE EGGS AND THE CANCER CELLS
DON'T GO THERE.
>> AS THE MAN WHO PIONEERED ALL
THESE CRAZY TREATMENTS, THE LIST
GOES ON, WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON
NOW?
>> STARTING THIS YEAR, BASED ON
EXPERIMENTS THAT WORK IN MICE,
WE'RE TAKING SKIN CELLS AND
TURNING THEM INTO STEM CELLS AND
THE STEM CELLS INTO FUNCTIONAL
EGGS.
WE'RE DOING THAT IN HUMANS.
WE'VE DONE THAT IN MICE AND IT
WORKS.
WE HAVE BABY MICE THAT ARE
HEALTHY.
WE'RE STARTING TO DO THAT NOW ON
HUMANS.
>> THERE'S GOING TO COME A DAY,
INSTEAD OF DONATING YOUR EGGS,
YOU CAN JUST HAVE A LITTLE SKIN
SLOUGHED OFF AND YOU CAN WIND UP
WITH AN EGG THAT CAN BE
FERTILIZED?
>> EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE'LL DO A SKIN BIOPSY AND WE'LL
HAVE EGGS.
>> DOES IT NEED TO COME FROM A
WOMAN?
>> WE EXPERIMENTED IT IN MICE.
IT WON'T WORK TO TRY TO MAKE
EGGS FROM MALE SKIN CELLS, WON'T
WORK.
>> OKAY.
I WANT TO SIT WITH THIS FOR A
LITTLE WHILE AND THINK ABOUT IT.
IT'S INCREDIBLE.
SPEAKING OF BABIES, WE MAY BE
GETTING A ROYAL BABY NAME IN ANY
MOMENT.
MY MONEY IS ON PHILLIP, JUST
SAYING.
I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE WELL