Our friends over at The Stir had the same thought that we did when we first heard the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to the creator of the test tube baby, Robert G. Edwards: If he “fathered” all these kids, do they get a cut of the $1.5 million prize money? That’s some serious child support!
Joking aside, Edwards’ discovery (with British gynecologist surgeon Patrick Steptoe) of human in vitro fertilization (IVF) therapy has made 4 million births possible according to the Nobel press release. The first one was Louise Brown on July 25, 1978. Today, Brown has started her own family with son Cameron, 3, born naturally.
“It’s fantastic news. Me and mum are so glad that one of the pioneers of IVF has been given the recognition he deserves,” Brown said today in a statement. “We hold Bob in great affection and are delighted to send our personal congratulations to him and his family at this time.”
Edwards, who still lives in Cambridge, England, is in poor health according to his publicist and unable to comment on his award, but his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, released this statement via Bourn Hall, the IVF clinic founded by Edwards and Steptoe:
“The family are thrilled and delighted that Professor Edwards has been awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine for the development of IVF. The success of this research has touched the lives of millions of people worldwide, and his dedication and single-minded determination despite opposition from many quarters has led to successful application of his pioneering research.”
We’re still waiting for Octomom to comment.
Photo courtesy of the Nobel Prize.