AFTER desperately trying for a decade to have a family, teachers Brad and Gemma Meadows have rallied the support of their friends and family to help fund further IVF treatement.

The couple, who teach at Leverhulme Community Primary School in Breightmet, have undergone all the free treatments they are allowed in Blackburn with Darwen.

They have now sought treatment from a top doctor in London who is using pioneering techniques, which cost thousands of pounds.

Mr Meadows, aged 30, said: “We have been trying for 10 years and it has been really hard.

“We had three goes of IVF, and each one takes eight to 10 months, but we were unsuccessful.”

During IVF, the couple underwent tests which showed 29-year-old Mrs Meadows body was attacking the implanted embryos and preventing her from getting pregnant.

Mr Meadows said: “Gemma has got a superhuman immune system, which just kills off everything.”

The couple, who live in Darwen, are hopeful new techniques will prove successful.

Mr Meadows said: “A lot of stuff is in its infancy and some of these techniques are at the forefront of technology.”

So far the couple have spent more than £13,500 on this cycle alone.

Mr Meadows said: “It could well be £20,000 by the time we have finished.

“Most of that has been raised by family members. We have organised all sorts of events, including taking part in Darwen Rotary’s Tower Trudge.

“But we have spent everything we have raised and we need more money.

“Everyone has been really supportive. It has been brilliant.” And while the couple have said they would consider other options, such as surrogacy or adoption, in their quest to have a family, they are desperate for a baby of their own. Mr Meadows said: “We just want a family and that is the main thing.”