Article published NZ Woman's Day
A herbal potion ended decades of infertility.
Every child is a miracle, but to Warren and Chrissy Coop, their youngest daughter Sarah is more miraculous than most. Even though her mother was told by doctors there was almost no chance she'd have another baby, five-month-old Sarah's ecstatic parents are convinced her surprise arrival is down to an all-natural herbal formula Chrissy had been taking, called Dr. Orman's HGH Plus. Wellsford couple Warren and Chrissy were told soon after their marriage in 1983 that their chances of having children without fertility treatment were extremely slim. Chrissy, 41, suffers from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) – a condition where cysts build up on the ovaries, stalling ovulation and,
at worst, leading to obesity, hirsutism and infertility.
Unaware of her condition until she was married, Chrissy – who says she could "count on one hand" the number of periods she'd had – had tried medication to try and regulate ovulation. However, as soon as the young music teacher discovered that PCOS was responsible for her missing periods, she and Warren decided to try everything in their power to fall pregnant. "We dispensed with contraception straight away," says Warren, 45. "We were only 19 and 22 when we got married, but we were desperate to have a family."
Seven years later, and with no sign of pregnancy, the couple began to accept that they would not havechildren unassisted. "I felt emptiness," says Chrissy. "I had a longing and a feeling of wanting to love, but no children to give love to. I cried a lot during
that time." When a doctor suggested the couple investigate IVF treatment, they agreed and went on to have three healthy babies – Edwina, now 14, and twin sons Michael and Jonathon, 11.
investigated herbal remedies. He suggested his wifeDelighted to finally have their family, the couple ceased IVF treatment and settled down to busy lives farming, teaching music and running a snack machine franchise, while coping with three active children. "After the twins, I asked my doctor whether we should use any contraception," says Chrissy. "He just said, 'I wouldn't even worry if I were you – you need a bomb in your system to get it going.' My periods still weren't occurring due to the PCOS." It wasn't until Chrissy became unhappy with the amount of hair growing on her face – a side-effect of PCOS – that Warren, who is keenly interested in naturopathy, begin taking a liquid anti-ageing formula called HGH Plus.
"HGH stands for Human Growth Hormone," explains Warren. "The name sounds scary and I can understand why people would shy away from it. But the formula Chrissy took is actually made up of herbs and amino acidsand homeopathic ingredients. It helps your body produce the hormones that it already produces naturally, and because it’s a natural thing I felt better about Chrissy putting this into her body rather than drugs.”
Warren ordered a bottle of HGH Plus online and Chrissy began taking a daily dose of droplets mixed with water. The results, she says, were instant. “Within three days my energy levels had shot up and within a week I was feeling fabulous. But the biggest change was that within five months I was having regular periods. At one point I thought about having my hormone levels tested to see if I was ovulating,
but then I thought, no, it’s impossible…”
One day Chrissy was packing the van with snack products
when she felt an overwhelming wave of nausea. “I began feeling really off and the smell of the chocolate, especially, was making me feel ill. I thought, ‘This is bizarre. No normal woman retches at the smell of chocolate!’” A home pregnancy test confirmed that Chrissy was pregnant. “I just screamed my head off!” she recalls. “This was the impossible! I raced to the phone and called Warren, who was in a meeting, and yelled, ‘I’m pregnant’. I think we were both in total and utter shock.”
Sarah Grace Coop was born on August 23, 2005. Her birth has dumbfounded the family’s GP, Dr Tim Molloy, who says only that Chrissy’s pregnancy was “a surprise to both of us.” While Dr Molloy has no comment to make over whether HGH Plus may have helped Chrissy fall pregnant, friends of the couple are taking the formula in the hope that they, too, may conceive a child. Living with infertility is a huge strain,’ says Chrissy. “I remember when I had my first child I prayed and said, “Lord, never let me forget the
pain of infertility so that I can help others.’ We’re lucky. We’ve got a happy marriage and our precious children.
Story: Fiona Fraser</
