Q Tell me, Ellis, when and where were you born? I was born in Kumasi, and that’s where I grew up. I had my primary education there and then proceeded to St Martin’s Secondary School in Nsawam, followed by sixth form at Aggrey Memorial Secondary School, Cape Coast. My early life took place entirely on the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) campus, where I was born into a family of eight. I was the sixth born. I came after an older brother, but before him, they In a quiet laboratory in Accra, where science meets hope, Ellis Fleischer-Djoleto has been quietly making history. As Ghana’s first embryologist, he helped usher in the country’s era of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), offering new possibilities to thousands of couples struggling with infertility. Now the Clinical Director and Senior Clinical Embryologist at Finney Hospital & Fertility Centre, and the President of the Ghana Association of Clinical Embryologists, Fleischer-Djoleto continues to shape the future of reproductive medicine in the country. In this exclusive interview, he shares the story behind his pioneering journey—from the early days of IVF in Ghana to the personal and ethical challenges that come with creating life in the lab. were all girls. My mum was a housewife, and my father worked at the Faculty of Architecture at KNUST. We had a close-knit family—we loved and supported each other, and it was a truly enjoyable upbringing. Q That’s nice. Are there any interesting stories surrounding your birth? Nothing particularly remarkable about my birth itself, but growing up in a large family came with the usual sibling squabbles. You’d fight over toys but quickly patch things up because you needed each other. Living in a family of eight in a three- or four-bedroom house meant learning to share everything. Our home was always open. We are Ga—both my parents are Ga— and during the Rawlings era, the university campus experienced a lot of unrest. One vivid memory I have is when the military ordered students off campus within 24 hours. Many, unable to return to Accra due to a lack of transport or funds, flocked to our house. We shared our beds, living room, and even floor space. My mumwould cook for everyone and make sure they were comfortable while they figured out their next steps. So from early on, we learned to share and to love. Q Interesting. Talk about what inspired you to pursue a career in embryology. After my secondary education, I went on to KNUST to study Biological Science—this was in 1986. At the time, I had never even heard of embryology. I graduated in 1990, and InVitro Fertilisation (IVF) wasn’t well known then. My original intention was to find a job related to my degree, or perhaps even study medicine, which I hadn’t initially qualified for because I had missed the required grades. After national service at 37 Military Hospital, I worked in various departments, including Radiology. That’s where I first encountered procedures like hysterosalpingography (HSG), which assess whether women’s fallopian tubes are open. That piqued my interest. As a young man, it was also visually intriguing, Success, to me, is a live, healthy birth. But before that, even just a positive test brings joy. “ 52 The Birthday Journal C O U R AG E O U S
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