Told IVF Success Would Be Unlikely

My wife, whom I'll call Ah Yin, and I — Ah Cheng — had been trying to start a family for years without success. We'd consulted several private hospitals in Hong Kong and tried everything from traditional Chinese medicine to nutritional supplements.

About two years before I sat down to write this, Ah Yin's cycles started becoming irregular as she got a little older. We stayed hopeful — we told ourselves we could still have the same chance as other women who'd had children later in life — but each failed cycle brought its own quiet disappointment and mounting pressure.

Then came the moment that changed everything: a gynecologist told us plainly that Ah Yin's ovaries had already declined significantly and were approaching menopause, that our chances with IVF would be very low, and that the treatment itself could put further strain on her ovaries. Ah Yin cried when she heard it. I held her and told her we'd find another way.

First Contact with Stork Fertility Center in Taiwan

In the difficult period that followed, I spent a lot of time researching the latest developments in fertility medicine, especially third-generation IVF technology. That's how I found Stork Fertility Center in Taiwan, which offered personalized protocols built around each patient's own ovarian reserve and a customized stimulation schedule rather than a one-size-fits-all plan.

I reached out directly to Stork's Hong Kong office, laid out our situation, and asked for help. Their consultants replied quickly by email, patiently answered every question I had, and shared stories from other couples who'd faced years of struggle before finally welcoming their own children. Reading them moved me deeply.

Treatment in Taiwan, and a Healthy Baby

The consultants then invited us to a fertility seminar in Hong Kong, where one of Stork's doctors was speaking. We went, and found the presentation on reproductive technology genuinely compelling. In a private consultation afterward, the doctor answered every concern we raised, reviewed Ah Yin's specific situation, and mapped out what a realistic treatment plan could look like. His warmth and professionalism resolved the doubts we still had and gave us real hope again.

After more back-and-forth with the consultants by email and phone calls, weighing everything carefully, we decided to travel to Taiwan for an initial consultation and examination.

Walking into Stork's Taipei clinic for the first time, we found a space filled with art and genuinely spacious and comfortable — it eased a lot of our anxiety before we'd even sat down. The staff were attentive, courteous, and warm, and made us feel welcomed rather than like outsiders navigating an unfamiliar system.

We had plenty of questions throughout treatment, and what stood out to me was how patiently the consultants answered every one of them, through ongoing email and phone contact, without ever making us feel like we were asking too much.

Two moments stay with me. The first was learning that healthy embryos had been created — it felt like finally being able to exhale after weeks of anxious waiting, the way you feel after a difficult exam. The second was seeing our baby's heartbeat on an ultrasound at a clinic back home in Hong Kong — a moment I'll never forget.

Early that year, Ah Yin gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and the joy spread through both of our families. In the months since, between work, looking after my wife, and caring for our newborn, I've often found myself kissing my sleeping son's cheek, full of gratitude toward Stork's staff, our consultants, and our doctor.

I've wanted to share our story for a while, for any couple facing a similar situation. I hope our story can provide you with the encouragement you need.

Clinical Summary

Stork's care team noted that Ah Cheng and Ah Yin communicated closely and supported each other throughout — something the team sees as essential for international patients, who need thorough preparation and communication to manage the uncertainty of traveling abroad for care. The couple's protocol combined PGT-A embryo screening with ERA-guided transfer timing (the PGT-A Plus protocol), an approach the clinic uses to try to give international patients a faster, more positive outcome and help them avoid repeated unsuccessful cycles.

If you've been told your own ovarian reserve is very low, or that IVF may not be worth attempting, Stork Fertility Center's team can walk you through what an individualized examination — including PGT-A and ERA — might look like for your specific situation.

This story reflects one patient's individual treatment experience and outcome. Individual results vary, and any figures cited are Stork Fertility Center's own in-house case data.