Marnie's story: No condition suspected

Phoebe Maloney lives in Gillingham, Kent, with her husband and their daughter, Marnie. When Phoebe was pregnant, she heard about the Generation Study from her community midwife.

“My community midwife, Lauren, who was absolutely amazing, told us about it the first time,” Phoebe says. “We went away with some leaflets, asked some questions about the study and she went through everything with us and guided us through the process.

“We were a little bit sceptical at first, as we didn’t know anyone else who had joined,” she explains. But the clear information and ongoing conversations from Lauren helped build their confidence. “She was really reassuring and really comforting,” adds Phoebe.

Why take part?

For Phoebe and her husband, the decision to take part was shaped by their experiences before Marnie’s birth. They had had two previous miscarriages, and while the Generation Study doesn’t predict miscarriage risk or provide answers to those questions, taking part provided additional peace of mind.

“It was for reassurance, really,” Phoebe says. “We wanted to do everything we could.”

The opportunity to contribute to research also felt important.

“It felt quite a moment for us to be part of something that’s so powerful,” she says. “Just knowing that we can help even one person is just amazing.”

A simple and reassuring process

Phoebe describes the process of joining the study as straightforward.

“It was smooth and easy to join the study after our conversations with Lauren. There was nothing that was a red flag,” she says. 

She also valued the way consent was handled. “Throughout the experience, they asked for consent, which gave us confidence that our role as parents was respected.”

When Marnie was born at Medway Hospital, the sample was taken immediately.

“They took the blood sample from the cord… it was done within seconds. It was the quickest thing that I’ve seen happen,” Phoebe says. “You wouldn’t even know it’s been done.”

Phoebe reflects that the experience was positive throughout: “The communication was really clear and reassuring, and they made sure the test caused no pain or disruption to our baby.”

Receiving the results

After taking part, the family expected to wait some time for the results, but they came back quickly.

“I received the results within a few weeks confirming that nothing had come up,” Phoebe says. “It felt like we had only done the test yesterday. We weren’t waiting six months to a year.”

The results showed that no genetic conditions were suspected. Although the test only looks for specific rare genetic conditions, and doesn't provide a clean bill of health, it still brought a sense of relief for Phoebe and her husband.

“It was amazing, it was a massive reassurance that we had this,” she says. “You haven’t got to think, oh, what if?”

Looking back

For Phoebe, taking part in the Generation Study was a positive and meaningful experience from start to finish.

“Overall, the experience was positive, supportive, and thoughtfully delivered,” she says.

She has since told other people about what it was like taking part.

“It’s been important for us to share our experience of the study. It feels like one of the best things that we did,” Phoebe says. 

Marnie is now growing and thriving, and Phoebe reflects on how the experience has stayed with them.

“We’re so glad to have been involved. The fact that we’ve been able to contribute to this and help protect other families in future is just amazing in itself,” she says. “We really hope this will help get more conditions spotted sooner and give more babies that extra help growing up.”