Casey Donovan has shared a major update with fans after reaching a significant milestone in her IVF journey with fiancée Renee Sharples. The beloved 2004 Australian Idol winner revealed she now has a 'number one embryo on board' as the couple continues their path toward starting a family.
Donovan posted an emotional update on Sunday, sharing a collection of photos that captured a whirlwind few weeks balancing IVF treatment, touring commitments, and her ongoing health journey. The images included moments from fertility clinic No.1 Fertility, snapshots from recent performances, travel photos, and mirror selfies showcasing her dramatic weight-loss transformation.
'Life Lately…The Two Week Wait…I honestly don't think I could have squeezed any more in!' Donovan captioned the post. 'Thanks to all who have brightened this week with their joy, love and light. Now we wait…What will be, will be...'
Among the images was a photo taken inside a clinic room, followed by a scan labelled 'No. 1 embryo on board' — signalling that Donovan had completed an embryo transfer and entered the crucial two-week waiting period before learning the outcome.
The announcement was quickly met with an outpouring of support from fans and fellow celebrities. Country singer Emily Lubitz wrote, 'Best of luck Casey!!!! sending lots of love,' while model Erin Holland added, 'You've got this girl xx.' Appearance activist and author Carly Findlay also shared her support, writing, 'You are incredible. Good luck with the embryo transfer.'
Many followers praised Donovan for openly documenting the highs and lows of fertility treatment. One fan wrote, 'Thanks for being raw and sharing this with us, sending all the baby dust to you. TWW is the hardest part of IVF,' referring to the two-week wait between an embryo transfer and a pregnancy blood test. Another commented, 'So grateful to be able to sit front row and embrace your joy and light.' A third shared their own experience: 'Wishing you all the luck Casey. IVF sure is a rollercoaster. My little 'embryo' is 13 years old now and did her first saxophone concert today.'
Donovan, who is currently on the weight-loss drug GLP-1, first revealed in April last year that she and Sharples hoped to start a family in the 'semi-near future'. Several months later, she confirmed she had begun IVF treatment, fitting appointments around an increasingly busy performance schedule, including gigs with superstar singer and Idol judge Marcia Hines.
'I've been doing the gigs with Marcia Hines. I've been working away in the background getting the This Is Me tour released. I took a month off. I've done back-to-back IVF egg retrievals. Yeah, it's been busy,' she told News.com.au. Donovan explained that Sharples had already completed her own egg retrieval process before it became her turn to undergo treatment. 'That's always been an option, and now I'm just starting to take action on everything because I'm not getting any younger, as the doctors keep telling me,' she laughed.
The singer has also spoken candidly about the challenges she has faced throughout the process. Living with PCOS, Donovan revealed she experienced a rare IVF complication known as Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome during her first egg retrieval cycle. 'I managed to put like I think it was six kilos of fluid in a week,' she said. 'On the first retrieval, I got 26 eggs and the second one was 28. So that's a big thing for your body to have to go through and then get back up on stage.'
Despite the demanding treatment schedule and physical toll on her body, Donovan said she remained determined to honour her work commitments. She admitted she accidentally scheduled medical appointments around performances but refused to let IVF force her to step away from the stage. 'Life doesn't slow down for women, or anyone in general. But when you're trying to calculate IVF, drugs, injections, live music, and writing, you just somehow manage to fit it in,' she said.
