Our journey to grow our family began shortly after my husband and I were married in December 2023. Becoming parents has always been a shared dream, one we’ve held close to our hearts. From the very beginning, we imagined a home filled with love, laughter, and the joy of raising a child together.
I’ve spent my career working in social services, supporting people through some of life’s most difficult challenges: at-risk youth, individuals with disabilities, those navigating mental health and addictions, and newcomers rebuilding their lives. I’m grateful for the purpose this work gives me, but it has also made my longing for a family of my own even stronger. I have so much love to give, and I dream of sharing that love with a child.
Our fertility journey, however, has been incredibly difficult. We were diagnosed with unexplained infertility, and over time we have gone through several medicated cycles, three IUIs, and one IVF cycle. In our first IVF round, four eggs were retrieved; two fertilized and reached day 5, but sadly neither implanted. Before this, we experienced a natural chemical pregnancy, and we haven’t conceived since.
After the failed IVF cycle, we made the decision to switch to a new fertility clinic—a decision that truly changed everything. Our new clinic has restored our faith and our hope. For the first time in a long time, we feel believed in, supported, and reassured that the family we dream of and pray for is still possible.
Being selected for the Fertility Friends Grant has meant more to us than words can express. This support allows us to continue treatment and keep moving forward, even when the financial burden feels overwhelming. Most importantly, it has given us renewed hope—hope that our dream of becoming parents can hopefully someday become a reality.
We are deeply grateful to everyone involved in making this grant possible. The kindness, generosity, and compassion behind the Fertility Friends organization has touched our hearts in a profound way. They have given us something truly priceless: the strength to keep believing. This grant received, so close to Christmas, makes going through the holidays more meaningful, while restoring our faith in how important it is to hold on to hope.
Thank you to Fertility Friends for giving families like ours a reason to hold on to hope 🤍