When facing chemotherapy as a young man, a 22-year-old mechanic from South Australia decided to have some of his sperm frozen. He may never have imagined that 20 years later he would father a child and set a record for IVF reproduction in Australia.

Nick Rafanelli and his partner Teresa Kilsby have overcome the odds and Nick's cancer with a baby due November 1.

Nick's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma caused him to fall ill at a young age and threaten his fertility forever. Doctors uncovered a tumour the size of a grapefruit in one lung and booked him in for surgery at Royal Adelaide Hospital. Right before the emergency operation, Nick had the presence of mind to freeze some sperm - a process usually expected to preserve sperm for just seven years.

Year after year of good health followed and Nick continued to pay the annual $250 storage bill - a wise move considering a third of men are left permanently sterile after chemotherapy treatment.

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Picture from Andrology Australia
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"Family is very important to me," Nick told the Sunday Mail, "so I asked if I would still be fertile - there was no guarantee so I decided to delay treatment for a week so I could store some of my taddies".

The tadpoles nearly didn't make it as a no ambulance was available as the hours ticked by before the chemotherapy was to go ahead.

"It only had to stay warm for half an hour in the cab trip, then they froze it, thawed it, tested it and found it was viable," Nick said.

"I then spent a week producing specimens for storage."

With a good supply intact and in storage, Nick began his painful treatment.

Nick is now 43 and facing fatherhood as a well man in remission. Having met Teresa seven years ago, the couple decided to move to the coast and now live on an organic fruit and vegetable farm. Teresa is just as eager as Nick to meet their new son.

"I am so lucky Nick had the foresight to store some sperm, that modern technology can help us have children, and that Nick is here in the first place."

While many cancer sufferers never think of storing sperm or eggs from the woman's ovaries, sperm production is thought to be unaffected by cancer in 50 per cent of cases within two years.

More info:
IVF Questions on Yahoo!7 Answers
Andrology Australia