BABY JOY FOR MUM-TO-BE,57; Doctors thought stomach 'lump' could be cancer.

Byline: BY ADAM ASPINALL

A 57 YEAR-OLD woman is expecting her first baby after originally being told that a "lump"in her tummy was suspected ovarian cancer.

Susan Tollefsen burst into tears after she underwent an emergency scan only to be told by doctors: "Congratulations, you're almost 30 weeks pregnant."

She will become one of Britain's oldest mothers when she has a Caesarean section next week.

The remarkable story comes after Susan and partner Nick Mayer, 46 and from Essex, spent years trying to conceive using IVF treatments.

But the baby joy is a far cry from the controversy which surrounded a Midland grandmother's earlier attempts to become an elderly parent.

Pat Hollander sparked protests from church leaders and family groups when she underwent pioneering IVF treatment in 2001 aged 58.

Protesters questioned the morality of a pregnancy at her age and fought against her dream of having a baby before she hit 60.

Pat, who already had six grown up children, planned to use pounds 5,000 life savings in the pregnancy bid, arguing a baby would complete her fifth marriage to childless husband Andy.

The couple, from Rugeley in Staffordshire, were offered a place at a top London clinic after her niece offered to donate her eggs.

But the fertility treatment, which would have made her Britain's second oldest mum, was blocked when an independent ethics committee ruled that she was too old.

Pat was then offered the chance of fertility treatment at a clinic in Italy - but the extra cost of IVF treatment abroad meant she had to abandon their dream.

Speaking at the time she said: "We were devastated when we were told we couldn't get fertility treatment in this country, age should never have been an issue.

"It was not like we were looking to do this on the NHS."

But in spite of having her hopes dashed by the authorities, Pat later fulfilled her dream by becoming a foster mum.

She said at the time: "I'm loving every minute of being a mum again. After losing our fight for fertility treatment, I almost gave up on the idea of ever having another child.

"But I've fostered four children in the last 20 years, so I offered my services again to Staffordshire.

I was asked to foster a baby girl and, of course, I was delighted to provide a loving home."

In 1997, Welsh farmer Lizzie Buttle became Britain's oldest mother after giving birth at 60. She lied to get IVF treatment by telling a clinic she was only 54.

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