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Joy, directed by Ben Taylor, follows the tremendous journey of Jean Purdy, Patrick Steptoe, and Robert Edwards—three scientists who led the world towards in vitro fertilization, or IVF. Released on November 22, on Netflix, Joy shows their struggle against both societal and institutional barriers to produce the world's first successful IVF birth.
A highly energetic nurse and embryologist, Jean Purdy, played a crucial role in the trio but remained uncredited during her lifetime. The ending of Joy sheds light on Jean's contributions and challenges, and how Louise Brown's birth is monumental in medical history.
Jean reconciles her personal conflicts and ambitious professional desires and continues her revolutionary idea that finally pays off. The birth of Louise Brown, the world's first IVF baby, proves the dedication of the team to an idea that Jean had finally fostered.
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Unfortunately, Jean died before receiving full recognition for her contributions, making Joy a moving reminder of the challenges faced by women scientists.
How did Joy (2024) highlight Jean Purdy's struggles and triumphs?
Jean Purdy started her journey by joining the laboratory of Dr. Robert Edwards at Cambridge, but she didn't know what she was supposed to do. Her interest in the pioneering work done by Edwards in fertilizing eggs outside a human body led her to become part of this mission.
Initially hesitant, Jean became instrumental in persuading none other than Dr. Patrick Steptoe, an illustrious surgeon, to team up with Edwards. However, social and institutional impediments hung over their heads. The media maligned their work by branding Edwards as "Dr. Frankenstein," and the Medical Research Council withdrew funding.
Religious groups labeled the team's efforts as interference with divine will, and even Nobel laureates spoke about baseless risks involved with IVF. Her personal also took the hit as she faced estrangement from her devoutly religious mother, who rejected her work.
Jean had to balance commitment to the project with personal guilt, particularly as her mother's health was failing, and therefore Jean quit research briefly. This break resulted in the suspension of the project.
How Joy (2024) showed the revival of IVF research and Jean’s role in it
Jean's eventual return to the project was the turning point. After her mother's death, she proposed an innovative approach-synchronize the IVF process with a woman's natural cycle instead of hormone induction. This idea rejuvenated the enthusiasm among team members.
Again, Steptoe came to support Jean's plan with zeal. Edwards, who had deserted the lab after being disillusioned by previous setbacks, again rejoined after his stint in politics. The trio resumed their experiments once more, more determined than ever before.
Their breakthrough came when Lesley Beset, a woman struggling with infertility approached them for help. They were able to fertilize an egg and implant it into Lesley using Jean's method, after which the subsequent pregnancy was kept under close observation. Despite intense media scrutiny, the team maintained strict confidentiality to ensure the Browns’ privacy.
What does Louise Brown's birth represent?
For Jean, Steptoe, and Edwards, the birth of Louise Brown on July 25, 1978, was a historic moment. After over a decade of persistence and sacrifice by the trio, this moment was the culmination of a successful experiment they had conducted in the field of reproductive medicine that altered societal perceptions about motherhood and infertility.
Jean's contribution was recognized posthumously. While Robert Edwards received a Nobel Prize for the work, he tirelessly argued for Jean's inclusion in the narrative. The inscription on a commemorative plaque at the Bourn Hall Clinic finally recognized Jean's role, but this acknowledgment came 15 years after her untimely death at 39 due to cancer.
Joy celebrates the often underplayed significance of Jean Purdy in one of the greatest breakthroughs in medicine. Their perseverance through hardships both on societal, institutional, and personal levels fosters the commitment to women's opportunities for better reproductive choices.
