Netflix movie Joy: the heartbreaking true story behind Jean Purdy's death
Netflix viewers are loving the new movie Joy, which follows the tremendous efforts that went into the birth of the first ever IVF or 'test tube' baby, Louise Joy Brown, who was born in 1978. The story follows Jean Purdy, a nurse and embryologist, and her work with scientist Robert Edwards and surgeon Patrick Steptoe to make it possible. But the movie's information about the real life people at the conclusion of the film show that, shockingly, Jean very sadly passed away aged just 39.
Jean and her teammates were responsible for the first IVF baby, born in Oldham in 1978. They helped conceive a second child, Alastair, the following here. However, the NHS refused to fund the service, and the trio searched for new grounds to continue their research. Jean discovered a manor house for sale, where they founded the world's first IVF clinic, Bourn Hall. Louise, the first baby made due to Jean, Robert and Patrick's tireless work, laid flowers on a memorial in memory of her in 2018.
In 1980, Jean served as the Technical Director at the clinic, but became ill from a malignant melanoma. While ill, she had a room arranged in Bourn Hall so she could continue her work and be a part of the team, before she very sadly passed away in March 1985. She was buried with her mother and grandmother in Grantchester. Before her death, she co-authored 26 papers on IVF.
Since then, over 300,000 children have been born with the help of IVF in the UK and over 20,000 at Bourn Hall.
Despite efforts from Robert, Jean's name was missed from a plaque commemorating her two colleagues. The letter read out in the movie, where Robert is campaigning for Jean's name to be included, is quite real.
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It reads: "I feel strongly about the inclusion of the names of the people who helped with the conception of Louise Brown. I feel this especially about Jean Purdy, who travelled to Oldham with me for 10 years, and contributed as much as I did to the project. Indeed, I regard her as an equal contributor to Patrick Steptoe and myself."
Although it is unclear why her name was omitted, Bill Nighy, who stars in the movie, shared his opinion, telling Radio Times: "One of the things that drew me to the film - that phenomenon of men dismissing women's work because they don't have a penis - which is basically all they lack, is bewildering and bizarre… If the film restores Jean Purdy to her rightful place in the development of IVF, then that's enough."
The administrator David Killion wrote back to Robert at the time, writing: "I hope you will find it sufficiently acceptable to enable us at least to put up something to commemorate your work, even if this does not describe it as fully or as clearly as you would wish.”
Jean's name is now by Robert Edwards and Patrick Steptoe on a Royal Society of Biology blue plaque, which was unveiled in 2015.
Joy is now available to watch on Netflix
