Dad Sells His £10K LEGO Collection for Private IVF After NHS Denies Funding for a Second Child

A Stockport dad is selling almost his entire £10,000 (approximately $13,000) LEGO collection to help fund private IVF after he and his wife were unable to access further NHS-funded treatment for a second child.

James Smith, 40, has spent more than two decades building the collection, including a life-size interactive sci-fi cockpit, but is now prepared to part with it for another chance to expand his family.

Dad Sells LEGO Collection To Fund IVF

Smith and his wife Jessica, 39, welcomed their first son in October 2024 after undergoing NHS-funded IVF. They later pursued fertility treatment privately after no longer being eligible for further NHS-funded treatment.

Smith is selling around 90% of his collection, comprising about 35 LEGO sets. It includes a Star Wars Millennium Falcon, an Imperial Star Destroyer, the USS Enterprise, Marvel sets and the life-size interactive cockpit.

The collection is valued at more than £10,000 (around $13,000), while Smith hopes the cockpit alone will fetch about £1,000 (around $1,300) at auction.

'In total, I have around 35 LEGO sets; most of them are official LEGO starships that I have been collecting over the last 20-odd years,' Smith said.

'To be able to pay for the treatment would mean the world to us,' he added.

Couple Faces Private IVF Costs

The couple had struggled to conceive for about 18 months before their first successful IVF treatment.

After their son was born, they began fertility treatment again in October 2025. Smith said a subsequent embryo transfer resulted in a chemical pregnancy, while another attempt ended in miscarriage.

The couple has one blastocyst remaining and hopes to proceed with a transfer when they are ready.

Smith said they are currently paying about £1,000 (around $1,300) a month, with roughly £9,000 (about $12,000) still outstanding. He hopes selling the collection will allow them to clear the remaining cost in one payment.

'We're currently paying £1,000 (around $1,300) a month; we hope that with selling this collection we can pay it all at once,' he said.

Why the Couple Is Not Receiving NHS-Funded IVF

NHS-funded IVF eligibility is determined locally and can depend on factors including age, previous fertility treatment and whether a patient already has children.

From 1 April 2026, NHS Greater Manchester standardised its IVF offer to one full cycle for eligible women aged 39 and under. A second attempt is permitted only if the first cycle is cancelled or abandoned.

The change replaced different arrangements across Greater Manchester boroughs and followed a public consultation involving more than 2,200 people.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust also states that existing children and previous fertility treatment can affect eligibility for NHS-funded assisted conception. Its reproductive medicine service offers fee-paying treatment to people who are not eligible for NHS funding, including those who already have a child.

LEGO Collection To Go Under the Hammer

Smith's collection is due to go on sale with Vectis Auctions on 17 September. He said he was sad to part with items collected over more than 20 years but believed selling them was worthwhile if it helped his family have another child.

'I do love my LEGO collection, but I am even happier to let the collection go and build LEGO with our son and, hopefully one day, another child,' he said.

Jessica said she was grateful to her husband for giving up his collection. 'It would mean the world to us if we were able to grow our family,' she said.