Aussie millionaire, 72, and wife, 34, hope for baby after 11 IVF attempts

Former Manly Sea Eagles club owner Max Delmege is already a happy granddad, but he’s determined to have children with his younger wife – despite them suffering three miscarriages, trying IVF 11 times and spending more than $100,000 in three years.

Delmege, 72 and his 34-year-old wife Sam began trying for a baby together five years ago, but after two years without falling pregnant, they realised they’d need some help to achieve their dream of starting a family together.

Three years later, the couple invited Channel 9’s A Current Affair to watch them as they undergo their eleventh attempt at IVF, following three heartbreaking miscarriages.

“I just do it because I have to, if I want to have a baby, I just have to do it,” an emotional Sam said on camera.

Millionaire property developer Max Delmege and his wife Sam don’t want much – except a baby. In three years, they’ve spent more than $100,000 trying to make that happen, and they’re not giving up.#9ACA | WATCH THE FULL STORY: https://t.co/O1AV38S86h pic.twitter.com/5cTf6xi469

— A Current Affair (@ACurrentAffair9) May 31, 2018

Proving a huge support for his wife, Max has stood by her throughout every scan, injection and hospital appointment, and showing he hasn’t lost his sense of humour through their turmoil, he joked to the show: “My age doesn’t help, it would be advantageous if I was probably two years younger.”

Cameras followed Sam, who married her husband in an elaborate ceremony in September 2015, through every stage of her most recent attempt, including initial scans, the egg retrieval and the embryo transfer. Meanwhile, allowing viewers behind the camera too, Sam also created home videos as she injected herself and opened up on her wish to be a mum.

Tragically, the couple lost unborn twins a year ago – just 12 weeks into the pregnancy. They announced the sad news at the time on their blog, Team Delmege, and Sam wrote: “My heart is still hurting so bad, my mind flashes with bad thoughts and nightmares and my body is still trying to adjust back to a normal body with no babies inside.”

Remembering the awful time, Sam added to the show: “I was pretty distraught, I was hyperventilating, I was devastated… I was sent from the scan place to the private hospital where I had to then have an operation that night.”

Despite spending thousands on IVF already, the couple don’t plan to give up any time soon, and even if their latest attempt is unsuccessful, they’ll try again.

“At the moment I haven’t really thought about when I will give up, as long as I know there is a chance I will keep going,” Sam insisted.

Asked why she chose to publicise every moment of her journey, both through the TV show and their blog, Sam explained on the show: “Just to show people out there that IVF is hard, it’s not easy, people just don’t really understand unless you have been through it.”

Did you, or anyone you know, undergo IVF to have children? Do you and your partner have an age gap between you too?