Hello, my name is Brooke, and I have loved children for as long as I can remember!
In my work as a nurse, primarily in areas with children and babies, I have desperately wanted a child of my own but unfortunately never met the right partner to do it with.
As the years passed and I watched those around me start their families, I decided this is too important to let pass me by. At the age of 36 I began this journey as a single woman.
Unfortunately, the road has been full of unexpected obstacles. Although everything looked great on my pre-testing, as I went into my first IVF cycle, my excitement was quickly extinguished when it was cancelled halfway through due to poor response. My second cycle resulted in 4 beautiful embryos and I found myself again full of hope and excitement. Unfortunately the first 3 embryos were not successful, 2 of them ending in early miscarriage.
With one remaining embryo, after many consults, I found a genuinely kind doctor that I connected with. He gave me a renewed sense of hope and confidence. I decided although the cost was high to ship a single embryo that I would take the chance and give it the best possible shot. When the time came I flew to the clinic in another province and hoped that this would be my rainbow baby.
Unfortunately the embryo did not implant and I am now starting the process over again. This involves choosing a new sperm donor and doing another egg retrieval.
IVF has been emotionally, spiritually, and financially taxing. I live in a city with no IVF clinic and a province with no funding for fertility treatments which has added to the financial burden.
Being a grant recipient has not only lifted a huge financial weight from my shoulders but it has also given me a renewed sense of hope and optimism about the journey going forward. I am so grateful to the Foundation, the donors, and the professionals offering their time and services to this amazing foundation.
To feel supported in this journey means the world and I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart! In this journey the highs are high and the lows are low, thank you so much for being a source of light and hope for me as I continue on this path!
For more information about our registered charity and fertility grants.