What started as light-hearted conversations about our favorite fandoms quickly grew into a deep connection, and before long, we had fallen in love. Our relationship was built on laughter, shared passions, and the dream of one day growing a family together.
We have been on a long, emotional journey to build the family we have dreamed of since just before our wedding on June 12, 2021. We were married in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic—a time when I was working as a nurse on the front lines, caring for others while quietly carrying the weight of our own fertility struggles.
We have been trying to conceive for several years and have faced significant medical challenges, including low ovarian reserve and low ovarian response. With the love and support of our family,
we dove into our fertility treatments with hope. We completed 3 IUI’s and countless natural cycles. Our first IVF round brought a difficult realization that my body did not respond the way we prayed it would, and we ended up with only two embryos. Our second round results were even more devastating, resulting in no viable embryos. The Ontario-funded third round gave us a
renewed sense of possibility, and we were grateful to get three embryos—in total five chances to grow our family. Unfortunately, those hopes turned into heartbreak: one blighted ovum, one chemical pregnancy, and three failed transfers.
We have tried everything along the way—old wives’ tales, good-luck charms, every hopeful belief we could cling to—but nothing has yet brought us the miracle we long for. I even turned to my love of Star Wars during the hardest moments—wearing “lucky” Star Wars clothes to appointments and rewatching the movies again and again. It became a small but comforting reminder that hope, courage, and perseverance can carry you through even the darkest battles.
After taking a much-needed break this past year to heal physically, emotionally, and financially, we are preparing for one more cycle under the care of Dr. Victory, our third fertility clinic, who has given us new light during a very dark chapter of our lives. We reached a point where, despite the emotional and financial strain, we were willing to do whatever it took to attempt another IVF round, because we are simply not ready to give up on our dream of having a child of our own.
Receiving this grant means more than words can express. It would help lift the heavy financial burden that has come with years of treatment and give us a renewed chance to pursue the family we have fought so hard for. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity and for any support that brings us closer to becoming parents.
— Megan & Sean
Recipients of the fall 2025 Day 1 Grant
These grant recipients benefited from Fertility Friends Foundation’s IVF Cycle Program, which combines a $5,000 FFF fertility grant with additional in-kind IVF services generously provided by one of our partner clinics. More info on IVF Cycle Program.