
This is not the kind of travel vlog Reanne and Ben expected to make. After spending two and a half years exploring China and five and a half years traveling full-time, they found themselves facing the most personal question of their lives: could they have children? Back in the UK, the NHS had let them down. Tests took months, appointments were impossible, and by the time they finally tried to book more checks, they were told it could take weeks just to get a phone call. So they did what they know best—they flew to Guangzhou and trusted China, a country that has never let them down.
Walking into a private hospital in Guangzhou without an appointment, they were seen within the hour. His fertility test led to one of the most awkward moments of his life: a clinic room stocked with adult videos, a strange machine he couldn't identify, and a specimen pot he then had to personally carry across the hospital because he didn't know where the lab was. Her experience was more invasive—blood tests, a swab, an ultrasound blocked by thick stomach lining, and the news that she needed to return a month later, three days after her period, for another round of procedures.
Then came the day that changed everything. Reanne arrived at the hospital thinking she was having a simple scan. Instead, she signed a contract, paid for a bag of medical supplies, and found herself being wheeled through the rain by a tiny nurse with an IV in her hand. She was sedated for a procedure no one had clearly explained. When she woke, she received the news through a translation app: both fallopian tubes were blocked. The doctor wrote that without surgery, it would be impossible to get pregnant. The recommended treatment was keyhole surgery with a five-day hospital stay, quoted at 20,000 yuan.
Perhaps the most striking part of this video is not the medical details but the emotional weight. Sitting in the hospital, drowsy and alone, Reanne had to process the results before telling her husband. Back at their apartment, the couple opened up about their fear, their love, and their future. He made it clear he would never push her into surgery or IVF, saying he only wants children with her. She admitted she is terrified of going under the knife. Yet through the tears, there is still hope: if surgery works and they have a child, they will be able to say China helped create their family.
Throughout the vlog, the contrast between British and Chinese healthcare is impossible to ignore. The NHS left a couple in limbo for months; China's private hospital offered same-day tests, direct WeChat access to doctors, and clear next steps. The costs were far from outrageous: his test was around £30, her comprehensive work-up nearly £300, and the surgery quote—while significant—included five days of hospital care. For this couple, the journey is only beginning. They are flying out the next morning, still processing, still unsure. But they know one thing: whatever happens, they will face it together, and they wanted their viewers to hear it from them first.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: Why did you go to a hospital in China for fertility tests?
- A: The NHS kept delaying us. We were told it would take weeks just to get a phone call to book an appointment, so we flew to Guangzhou and walked into a private hospital. They saw us within the hour.
- Q: What was the male fertility test like in China?
- A: It was awkward. I had to produce a sample in a room, then carry the specimen pot through the hospital myself because no one told me where the lab was. But I got my results in about 30 minutes.
- Q: How did you communicate with the doctors if no one spoke English?
- A: We used a translation app and WeChat. The doctor would type messages, and I would translate them. It was hard, especially for something so personal, but we managed.
- Q: What were the results from the tests?
- A: Ben was fine, just a slightly low sperm count. But my fallopian tubes were blocked on both sides, which meant we had almost no chance of conceiving naturally without keyhole surgery.
- Q: How much did the treatment cost in China?
- A: Ben's test was about £30. My tests cost nearly £300. Afterwards they quoted 20,000 yuan for five days of surgery, and you pay for everything before it starts.