In 2010, British singer George Michael secretly paid for a woman's fertility treatment after watching her discuss her struggle to conceive on television.
asserted
her → pay → television
Jo Maidment had been denied NHS-funded treatment because her partner already had a child.
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partner → deny → child
Moved by her story, Michael offered to pay for a round of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) without revealing his identity.
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Michael → move → identity
Two years later, Maidment gave birth to her daughter, Betsy.
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Maidment → give → daughter
Maidment had appeared on ITV's This Morning to discuss her difficulties starting a family.
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Maidment → appear → family
According to ITV, she wanted to raise awareness about others facing similar problems, but two days after returning home, she received an unexpected call.
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she → accord → call
A personal assistant told her that an unnamed businessman wanted to fund one cycle of IVF.
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businessman → tell → IVF
Initially unsure about accepting the offer, Maidment eventually agreed.
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Maidment → accept → offer
Her first IVF attempt was unsuccessful, but she had frozen eggs remaining from the treatment.
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she → have → treatment
A second attempt led to the birth of Betsy in 2012.
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attempt → lead → 2012
It was only after bringing her daughter home that Maidment discovered who had paid for her treatment.
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who → bring → treatment
A bouquet of flowers arrived with a card signed by George Michael, revealing that he had been the anonymous donor.
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he → arrive → Michael
Why George Michael paid for the treatment
Maidment had been refused NHS funding because her partner already had a daughter.
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partner → pay → daughter
After hearing her story on television, Michael arranged for his personal assistant, Michelle, to contact her.
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assistant → hear → her
Recalling the call during a January 2017 appearance on This Morning, Maidment told presenters Phillip Schofield and Davina McCall, "I was home for two days and got a phone call from a PA saying a businessman would like to donate some money for one cycle of IVF for you."
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businessman → recall → you
She admitted that she initially struggled to believe the offer and took several days to respond.
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she → admit → days
"I didn’t believe it at first.
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I → believe → it
And it took me a good few days to respond because that wasn’t what I came on the show for, I wanted to help other people in my position.
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I → take → position
"But then we agreed to it, because the PA Michelle said it was what this particular man wanted.”
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man → agree → what
Michael's identity remained a secret throughout her treatment.
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identity → remain → treatment
How a bouquet revealed George Michael's identity
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bouquet → reveal → identity
Maidment's first IVF cycle failed, but she was able to try again using eggs frozen during the process.
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she → fail → process
The second attempt was successful, and she welcomed Betsy in 2012.
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she → welcome → 2012
A few days after returning home with her daughter, Maidment received several congratulatory cards and flowers.
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Maidment → return → cards
One particularly large bouquet came with a message that revealed who had helped her.
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who → come → her
She recalled, “It was a couple of days after we came home with Betsy and we had loads of cards and flowers.
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we → recall → cards
There was a massive bouquet of flowers that came and I read the card that said, ‘Congratulations to you both.
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that → be → you
"Me and my husband read it hundreds of times to believe it.”
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Me → read → it
The couple finally knew that the singer had funded the treatment that helped them become parents.
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them → know → treatment
Maidment shared the story after Michael's death
George Michael died on Christmas Day in 2016, aged 53.
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Michael → share → 2016
Following his death, several stories emerged about donations he had made privately to individuals and charities.
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he → follow → individuals
On January 3, 2017, Maidment returned to This Morning to reveal his role in helping her have Betsy.
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her → return → Betsy
ITV said the disclosure was made with his family's blessing.
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disclosure → say → blessing
"I cannot ever thank him enough for what he has done for me and my husband," she said.
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she → thank → me
Maidment also expressed regret that she would never be able to thank Michael personally or introduce him to her daughter.
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she → express → daughter
I was really upset when I found out George Michael had died because I can never thank him personally and he never got to meet her.
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he → upset → her
Betsy will know when she’s old enough,” she said.
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she → know → ?
According to ITV News, Maidment also donated her appearance fee from the programme to Childline.
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Maidment → accord → Childline
The Aporia
