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Grabbing a doll out of her little girl’s grasp, Jenna Dye winced with guilt.

Totally confused about how to help her daughter in the long run, all she could think of doing for now was to smother any maternal ­instincts in the toddler.

Because Libby, now four, was one of around 170 girls born in 2008 with Turner syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality that affects physical appearance and in nearly all cases causes infertility.

Faced with the possibility that in the future her little girl would be desperate for her own family, which she’d never achieve naturally, Jenna decided she would do everything she could to protect her.

Her initial instinct had been to try to stop Libby from longing for her own children. But devoted mum Jenna finally came to another decision – to freeze her own eggs so that one day her daughter might be able to use them.

Jenna, 28, explains: “The longer I thought about it, the heavier it weighed on my mind.

“I became depressed, haunted by the idea that Libby would never be able to have children of her own, never be able to pass on her genes. When I ­realised how much this abnormality would affect her life, denying her the joy of ­becoming a parent, I got a sinking feeling which wouldn’t go away.”

But now, after tackling scepticism and doubt from the consultants who told her about Libby’s condition, Jenna is preparing to have the first of her eggs frozen, all with the ­support of husband Stuart, 30, and six-year-old son, Alfie.

“Even when I was very small, I dreamed of starting a family of my own,” says Jenna. “So when Alfie was born, it felt as if my life was truly beginning. When Libby came along I believed our family was ­complete. But even from the first days, we were concerned about her health. She didn’t feed properly, she seemed sleepy all the time and her eyes were puffy.”

(Image: Alan Richardson)

At first, the couple was told it was an infection and were advised to take their baby for more detailed tests when she was six months old.

And when the first diagnosis came, they weren’t too alarmed by what they heard.

Jenna says: “We learned she could take medication to boost her immune ­system and her ­slightly protruding jaw could be corrected surgically. We were just glad her life wasn’t in danger.”

But then her consultant dropped another bombshell. Libby was born without functioning ovaries, so there was no chance she could conceive naturally.

Jenna asked Libby’s consultant whether she might be able to freeze and store her own eggs so that when her daughter reached a point where she wanted to have children, she could have them implanted in her womb. “I don’t know what r­eaction I expected from the doctor, but I was still surprised,” says Jenna.

“He was stunned into silence. It was obvious that he didn’t know how to respond. He told me ­nothing like it had ever been done before in the hospital and he wasn’t even sure whether medical guidelines would allow it.”

(Image: Alan Richardson)

Libby’s non-hereditary condition is the result of a random genetic mutation. But Jenna, knocked back by the consultant, still ­experienced guilt as reality sank in.

“I asked myself how this could have happened. I did everything right during my pregnancy – I didn’t drink or smoke, I ate ­properly. I did all I could to take good care of us. I kept telling myself it wasn’t my fault but deep down, I wondered whether I might somehow be responsible.

“Although she was still just a toddler with no reason to worry about these things yet, my own anxiety began to consume me. I felt I had let her down.”

(Image: Alan Richardson)

Jenna became so concerned about Libby developing maternal instincts that she even stopped her playing with dolls.

“She began reaching for baby dolls while we were out ­shopping,” says Jenna. “I was terrified and tried to distract her with other toys instead. It felt like I was being cruel, but I didn’t know what else to do.

“I didn’t want her to get ­attached to the idea of having her own children, only to be disappointed. My heart was ­breaking.”

Determined to regain control, 12 months ago Jenna sought expert fertility advice at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee and she returned to the idea of freezing her own eggs.

“Me and Stuart don’t want any more children and Libby doesn’t have any sisters,” she says. “Who knows what circumstances she’ll find herself in when she’s older? I thought: ‘I’m her mum, it’s up to me’. This was something I could do for her now.”

It took months of testing and ­interviews to get doctors to agree to the plan, but then, in November last year, she was given the news she had hoped for. Her eggs were a good match for Libby and the procedure could go ahead.

She says: “I was beginning to feel that if I didn’t get the process under way soon, I would miss my chance.

“We were told that it’s extremely rare for eggs to be frozen for as long as I was suggesting. There was quite a lot of scepticism.”

Should Libby decide to use her mum’s eggs, Libby’s future partner’s sperm will be used to fertilise them in a laboratory before the ­embryos are placed within Libby’s womb, which is completely healthy.

The hospital has agreed to support the family on the condition they all, including young ­Libby and Alfie, go through psychological ­counselling to ­prepare them for the reality of what is ­being proposed. Jenna says: “There will be a lot for us all to get our heads around, but we are ready to talk about it because we all know that what we’re doing is right for Libby.

“Technically, if Libby decides to use my eggs one day, she will be having my biological offspring.

“My grandaughter will also be my daughter.

“Libby’s daughter will also be her sister, genetically speaking. What I’ve made clear to everyone who’s asked is that I don’t have any desire to have more children – two is enough for me.

“I would love to be a grandmother, but it’s Libby who I’m thinking about before anyone else.

“The doctors warned us there were likely to be some people who would feel what we are doing isn’t right and that nature should be allowed to run its course, even if it left Libby with no chance of conceiving.

“Some friends have wondered whether there’s any increased risk of genetic disorders should Libby conceive with my eggs, which there isn’t,” says Jenna.

“Others, I know, think I’m putting my family under too much ­emotional strain, that the process will be a huge psychological test for all of us.

“But all I had to do was look at my wonderful little girl. She makes me smile and laugh every single day. She’s happy and bright.

“She loves dancing around to music and climbing on things ­whenever she gets the chance. She’s the kind of girl who lights up the room whenever she comes in, and she has a wonderful relationship with her big brother.

“I care so much for her and the thought of her struggling ­emotionally later in life is almost too much for me to bear. “If I couldn’t help her when she needs me, what sort of mum would I be?”

Stuart says: “I was hesitant at first. My first thought was whether Jenna was putting herself in harm’s way by going through the procedures and leaving herself open to criticism from people who didn’t understand why she was doing what she was doing.

“We had a really good heart-to-heart and I’m totally behind her now. I believe this experience will bring us all closer together.”

Having been positively tested for compatibility with Libby last summer, Jenna is preparing to take ­injections to get ready for having the first of her eggs extracted.

As the cost of the procedure isn’t fully covered by the NHS, the ­family is hoping to save £2,500. Doctors want Jenna to wait five years.

But she’s decided to go ahead as soon as possible because she would like to do more than one cycle to produce as many eggs as she can for Libby.

The family have received emotional and practical support from the Family Fund, which arranges respite for children with genetic illnesses, and the Turner Syndrome Support ­Society, which provides information and advice for sufferers and their ­families.

Jennasays: “I’m not going to put any pressure on my daughter whatsoever – if she wants to use my eggs, then she’ll be free to do so.

“I simply believe that she should have the same options open to her as any other woman. I would be nothing more to the baby other than a loving granny.

“If Libby decides to go ahead, I will be over the moon. But until the time comes to decide, I’m going to concentrate on being the best mum to her that I can be.”