Flooding at Boston hospital disrupts IVF services for 200 patients, leaving some devastated

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

MEREDITH, N.H. (AP) — Flooding from a burst water main at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital has disrupted services for about 200 patients seeking to have children through in vitro fertilization. Alexis Goulette runs a private IVF support group on Facebook. She said Wednesday that a lot of the women were informed of cancellations by voicemail and hadn’t been offered emotional support or been given explanations for alternative timelines or cost reimbursements. Hospital spokesperson Jessica Pastore says all frozen embryos and eggs remain safe inside cryogenic tanks in the lab, but that lab staff can’t open the tanks until the risk of mold growth inside damp walls is mitigated. She said the process would likely take a month.