THE sheer joy of becoming a parent is enjoyed by thousands of people every year.
But for Bev and Dave Andrews, it took six long years of trying for a child through IVF treatment.
Daughter Rachel is now 13 years old.
She gave her first interview alongside her parents – and told of her hopes to work in the health field when she leaves school.
RACHEL Andrews was every bit a special baby.
If it hadn't been for University Hospital of Hartlepool consultant Mohammed Menabawey, she may never have been born.
Bev, from Seaton Carew, said it took six years, from the ages of 26 to 32, to conceive Rachel, eventually through IVF overseen by Mr Menabawey.
Dave was in the Army and the family, including Dave, Bev and her two children from a previous relationship, Jennifer Duthie, 25, and Christopher Andrews, 23, were living in Aldershot.
Bev wanted to give her new husband a child. But for four years they tried unsuccessfully to have a baby.
Later, when the family decided to move back to Hartlepool, they were told by Aldershot medics: "You couldn't be going to a better place than Hartlepool, if anyone can get you pregnant, Mr Menabawey can."
Housewife Bev said: "We wanted a baby of our own and it never seemed to happen. We were living in Aldershot and I was told I couldn't have any more children. I went beserk and said to Dave 'You might as well divorce me now'."
Under Mr Menabawey the couple had their first IVF treatment in September 1993, six years after they had tried to conceive.
It was successful and Rachel was born nine months later on June 13, 1994, weighing a healthy 8lb.
Bev said: "You don't realise how long the procedure takes from start to finish. It's very traumatic. Once you get on the pedestal it's hard to get back off."
Bev became the spokeswoman for Fertility Information Reproduction Support Team (FIRST) following Rachel's birth. She has only recently stood down from the role after 13 years.
She supported other would-be mums and families who have successfully had children through in-vitro fertility treatment (IVF).
Rachel, 13, said: "I've always known how I was made. My friends think it's weird, but I don't think they understand.
"I remember having parties with all the other children in the hospital.
"I'm really proud of all the work my mam's done."
Bev said Rachel was hoping to go into a "hospital-related or medical" profession when she leaves school.
The couple aren't the only ones indebted to Mr Menabawey.
Their daughter Jennifer, also from Seaton Carew, may never have had her 16-month-old son Oliver if it hadn't been for the consultant.
Bev said: "Jennifer had endemetriosis at 15 and if Mr Menabawey hadn't detected that, who knows what would have happened.
"It was a big deal for a young girl, she suffered really badly during it. Mr Menabawey said he wanted her to have a baby sooner rather than later in case she finished up infertile.
"She was ok for nine years then the symptoms came back when she was in the Royal Navy. She and her husband John tried for a baby and luckily enough she fell pregnant in the first couple of weeks.
"If it wasn't for Mr Menabawey she could have ended up like me."
Dave, a gas tanker driver for Air Products, recalls the time before Rachel was born.
The 43-year-old said at one point he feared for his wife's life as she developed a condition called hyper-stimulation, a reaction to the drugs which help the body to produce eggs.
He said: "It left her with a swollen stomach and she looked about eight months pregnant – we were only 11 days into the embryos being put in."
But the pregnancy was the news the couple had dreamed of.
When the couple learned they were expecting their bundle of joy, Bev said: "It felt fantastic, Dave said can I go and tell everyone? He wanted to go and tell the world.
"It was just magnificent after all those years of waiting. She was born on the 13th of June. They say 13 is unlucky, but not in our case.
"We were so proud. The day I gave birth to her, I said as long as Mr Menabawey was at the hospital, I could never thank him enough and would continue fighting the good cause.
"Everybody knows me through what I've done. They admire Rachel. She's been on national TV and we used to always get stopped with her in the pram with people saying 'There's that special baby'."
When Mr Menabawey left in January to start work as medical director at the Bridge Fertility Centre in London, after helping thousands of families, Bev, 46, also stepped down as chairwoman of FIRST.
Now the hospital has announced that its fertility unit is to be refurbished. With a new consultant starting soon and FIRST going from strength to strength Bev is delighted.
She said: "I must have seen over 1,000 families. It makes me feel really proud. We met a lot of good friends over the years and it's great seeing all these kids growing up."
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