Grant Recipients
Jeremy and Hyeseung Strother - Dupont, WA (2023)
While Jeremy was stationed in South Korea, he and Hyeseung met in January 2010. They knew immediately that they were meant to be together and married in May 2010. As newly weds they moved to Fort Hood, TX and made it through a deployment to Iraq. Jeremy has been active-duty Army for 15 years and they are stationed in JBLM, WA. In 2020 Hyeseung became pregnant twice but, unfortunately both ended in miscarriage. After other medical complications, Hyeseung was diagnosed with PCOS and completely blocked tubes and they have been unsuccessful in natural pregnancy for the last 3 years. IVF is the only option for them to hopefully have a child. It has been a very challenging time, emotionally, physically, and financially and they are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Hope for Fertility Foundation. "Being selected gave us hope that we can still be successful after all the hard times we have endured through this journey."
Kevin and Gretchen - Rockford, MI (2023)
Life is not always sunshine and rainbows, but Kevin and Gretchen have always made the best out of every situation. Introduced by a mutual friend and then married in 2018; they haven’t stopped smiling through any storms that have rolled their way. They have always talked about finishing their family with another kiddo. Kevin had two sons from a previous marriage. Gretchen jumped into the “bonus” mother roll. Their oldest son, Brady, fought brain cancer for 6 years and went home to heaven in September 2020. After losing the battle with cancer, the couple became focused on their fertility to try to finish their family and give Kaden, the youngest son, a sibling. Kevin and Gretchen have been fertility warriors for three years. They have been working with a fertility clinic attempting vasectomy reversal, IUIs, IVF egg retrieval and even experienced their own early pregnancy loss in 2022. Due to the generous grant from The Hope for Fertility Foundation, they can try to make that dream come true by attempting to finish the IVF process. Kevin and Gretchen look forward to being able to share happy news in the future.
Brittany and Matthew Stedman - Charlotte, NC (2023)
Matthew and Brittany live in Charlotte, North Carolina. They met in 2013 and were married in 2017. Matthew and Brittany are both elementary school teachers and children are the biggest part of their everyday life. They are both involved in their school communities and support their students inside and outside of the classroom. Throughout their family-building journey, they have encountered loss, heartbreak, and many unknowns during the past four years. Brittany was diagnosed with endometriosis which has led to many surgeries, procedures, medication, and testing. They have had multiple devastating miscarriages and a few IVF procedures that have been unsuccessful. Despite the setbacks and hardships, they have stayed strong and positive. While in the middle of some difficult decisions and next steps, Hope for Fertility came along and gave them just that, hope. They are so grateful to The Hope for Fertility Foundation for this continued chance to build their family.
Jessica Garcia and Joël Nkusi Rwabera - Kansas City, MO (2023)
Jessica and Joël grew up on different continents and spoke different languages, though they’ve spent the last nine years building a love story that transcends their backgrounds. They met at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO and quickly fell in love and got married in 2014. Their mutual passion for serving their communities brought them together and they both became teachers and moved to New York City soon after graduation. They spent the first 6 years of their marriage traveling, teaching, and hanging out with their dogs, Harlem and Luna. When they settled down in Jessica's hometown of Kansas City 3 years ago, they decided it was time to start a family. After two years of trying naturally, they sought the support of a fertility specialist and Jessica was diagnosed with PCOS. After 7 failed IUIs, they now know IVF is their only option. Having a child of their own is their biggest dream and a baby would mean so much to Joël’s family, who are survivors of the Rwandan genocide. They are so thankful to the Hope for Fertility Foundation and its donors for giving them a chance to expand their family.
Brett and Katelyn Senn - Superior, WI (2023)
Katelyn and Brett met as neighbors and started dating in 2018. In 2020 they got married and immediately started looking into their options for starting a family. Brett has been in remission from Non-Hopkins Lymphoma cancer for 9 years but was told he was not able to have any biological children after the treatment. Katelyn and Brett met with doctors to learn all the options available to start a family and in that process, they were enlightened to learn that Brett could have a chance of having a biological child through IVF. This was very exciting news because Brett could be the end of the bloodline for his family. Katelyn and Brett were able to conceive a daughter in 2022 through the fresh IVF process. They tried again 2 more times with frozen embryos to give their daughter a sibling and were unsuccessful. This was heartbreaking for many reasons, because Katelyn and Brett want their daughter to have a sibling to grow up with and share her life with. Without the help of Hope for Fertility, starting the IVF process all over would not be financially possible in a practical timeframe. Thanks to Hope for Fertility the dream of adding to their family has a bigger chance of becoming a reality for them and so many others.
Justin and Samantha Kueter - Floyd, IA (2023)
Justin and Samantha were married in 2021. They reside in a small town in Iowa with there five dogs and three cats. Justin and Samantha love all things outdoors, hunting, fishing, kyaking, and hiking. When it comes to pregnancy, Samantha never had it easy; in 2018 she experienced a ruptured Ectopic pregnancy, and from here they went on to three intrauterine insemination procedures. One did not take, and two unfortunately resulted in early miscarriage. October 2023 Samantha found out she was pregnant again, but unfortunately it resulted in another miscarriage, and salpingectomy as they found hydrosalpinx in her right tube. After five very long years of trying they finally feel some hope that IVF is their best path for starting a family. Justin and Samantha are so very grateful for The Hope for Fertility foundation and cannot wait to start this next chapter in their lives.
Yanet and Juan - Boise, ID (2023)
Yanet and Juan have been together for twelve years and married for four of those years. They met in 2011, thanks to mutual friends. Family has always been important to them and two years into their marriage, they decided to try to have their first child. They were so excited to expand their family and unfortunately more than two years have passed with no luck. After lots of tests, medications, uterine fibroid removal, and other medical procedures, they were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. Struggling with infertility has opened their eyes to many challenges, but on the other side, they have found inner strength and acceptance. They underwent 3 rounds of IUI and unfortunately all attempts were unsuccessful. This is what has led them to pursue IVF. While they are grateful that this is an option, they are also anxious about the new set of emotions and financial burdens that come with this decision. Their hearts are forever grateful for The Hope for Fertility Foundation and their donors for their generous financial assistance.
Jason and Sarah - Blaine, WA (2023)
Jason and Sarah have confronted fertility storms since marrying in April 2019. In October 2019, they became pregnant naturally, but at their 9-week ultrasound—no heartbeat. Sarah’s body would not naturally miscarry, so she underwent two rounds of misoprostol, and finally a D&C. Their OB recommended a fertility specialist because in the fertility world, they are geriatric. After seeking two fertility doctors’ opinions and vials of blood taken for testing, both clinics recommended use of an egg donor. Before deciding, they underwent two, medication-assisted IUI’s—both failed. Fast forward to March 2021, they were pregnant naturally again, but it too ended in an early miscarriage. Exhausted from monthly ovulation/pregnancy tests, they made the decision to go with an egg donor and got four embryos. Sarah underwent over 100 injections and their embryo was transferred October 28, 2022—they were pregnant, and a baby boy due July 2023! Everything was going well, until 18 weeks pregnant and Sarah experienced a SCH hemorrhage and PPROM—losing ALL amniotic fluid. Doctors encouraged termination, but they fought. After 4 weeks of at-home bedrest, Sarah was admitted to a Seattle Level 4 NICU hospital (2+ hours from their home). At 24+3 weeks, Lukas Andrés, decided it was time to enter the world and was born via an emergency classical C section. They Jason and Sarah faced the NICU storm. Traveling over 2 hours each way to visit Lukas was challenging, but the day they were able to hold Lukas, they will never forget. Lukas made strides and grew, until April 16th, when they received a call no parent should ever get—Lukas was really sick. He was diagnosed with NEC and transferred to Seattle Children’s for a lifesaving surgery. Encouraged by the medical team, Sarah and Jason left the NICU to regroup, and 30 minutes later, received THE call—Lukas was not going to make it. They rushed to be by his bedside as his body began to fail, and at 19-days old, Lukas passed April 17th in their arms. Because of Sarah’s PPROM and classical C section, doctors have advised she not carry a baby again. Since this horrific storm, they have had a friend offer to be a surrogate and carry one of their embryos (Lukas’ sibling) for them. As many know, infertility storms are lonely and expensive. Jason and Sarah are forever grateful for The Hope Fertility Foundation and its donors to financially assist this last attempt of hope to complete their family.
Jess and Mike Witous - Southbend, IN (2023)
Jess and Mike both have the same genetic condition, dwarfism, that creates a 25% chance of a fatal diagnosis with every pregnancy. Their first pregnancy gave them the light of their life, their son Michael. Their second and third pregnancy gave them their beautiful daughters, Margot and Bernadette, but unfortunately they were inflicted with the fatal diagnosis. They had 2.5 months, and four days, respectively, with each. This generous grant allows them the chance to grow their family with confidence. Outside of that, they enjoy staying active, being with family and friends, cheering on the Fighting Irish, and educating others on living with dwarfism, and the effects grief has on us as individuals and a families. Their love for their daughters will never go away and they believe they are part of the reason they are being given another chance.
Morgan and Ryan Knauth - Texas (2023)
Morgan and Ryan met in 2012 while in college in Virginia. Just before meeting Morgan was diagnosed with thyroid disease; this and painful irregular periods all of her life was the start of their infertility journey. They moved back to Texas, Morgan's home state, and got married in the summer of 2013. After a few years of working in education, they wanted to start a family of their own but learned that Morgan also had PCOS and endometriosis after years of trying. This led them to meet with a local REI who started them on a very conservative route, even with their diagnosis. They had no success with ovulation induction and were told IUI wouldn't be an option, and that IVF would be their only choice but they didn't want to stay with their local REI so they entered a limbo period and took control of what they could immediately. Summer of 2023 they found their perfect REI match, not local but worth the drive from Dallas to Austin. Morgan and Ryan are eternally thankful for this gift. With the help of the Hope for Fertility Foundation, their hope of having a biological child has been renewed.
Myra and Kody Bland - Providence, UT (2023)
Myra and Kody Bland met while attending college and were married in the summer of 2017. After a wonderful first year of marriage they decided to begin the journey of starting a family. Several years of doctor visits, medications, and procedures led them to the discovery that they would need additional medical assistance in order to expand their family. Under the guidance of their fertility clinic they then underwent 8 IUI procedures, none of which resulted in a pregnancy. They are now planning on moving forward with IVF. They are still hopeful and excited for the day that they can bring their baby home. Myra and Kody are so grateful to the Hope for Fertility Foundation and the assistance that they have provided in helping their dream of being parents become a reality!
Rachel and Wesley - (2023)
Wesley and Rachel met at Norwich University in 2014 and became fast friends. They married in 2017 while Wesley was still in the United States Army. Wesley is now a law enforcement officer and Rachel is working on her PhD in Clinical Psychology and teaching high school on the side. They both love to rescue animals and currently have four cats and a dog. They have been working on adding a human baby to their pack for four years now with two failed IVF rounds, multiple failed IUIs, no pregnancies, and no answers . They have also pursued embryo adoption but sadly that failed. With the help of Hope for Fertility, they are hoping another IVF round will make the difference. It is all in God's hands!
Danielle and Brandon - AL (2023)
Danielle and Brandon feel so blessed to be recipients of The Hope for Fertility Foundation National Grant. They started trying when they got married in May 2020. After six months Danielle called her OBGYN for an appointment; they didn’t have any openings until January, so the cycle of hurry up and wait began. They had their first appointment with their REI in March. So far their journey has consisted of 3 SIS procedures, 6 surgeries, 5 OI cycles, 8 IUIs, 1 round of IVF with ICSI, 2 FETs but zero hope lost. This past May they received the news that their second and last embryo did not become a pregnancy. They both knew going in they couldn’t afford to do a second IVF cycle themselves; they look now to the generosity of others to give them this second chance that they so desperately seek. Danielle long for the experience of pregnancy and childbirth. She has always known the most important thing she would ever do is raise her children. Before she understood where babies came from, she was naming her future kids. Danielle is just like so many women who were once little girls who dreamed of becoming a momma one day, and Brandon is like so many men who just want to give the woman they love everything her heart desires. He will be an amazing father because he is an amazing man. Danielle knows she is a mother without a baby. They thank God for walking this path with them and carrying them through it. They do not believe He is through with our journey to parenthood. They know His delays serve a bigger purpose than they can see with their limited view of time. Their pain is not meaningless. There is a purpose, one that they may never know this side of heaven. They will wait for Him in His perfect timing.
Jessica and Matthew S. - Florida (2023)
Jessica and Matthew have been married for almost 4 years and live in South Florida. They have been trying to grow their family for 3.5 years and have been through the gamut of fertility treatment. They started with 3 IUIs and moved onto 2 rounds of IVF, all unsuccessful, and they are now at a point where they have exhausted their funds and turned to the Hope for Fertility Foundation. Not ready to give up, their dream of a child has now been renewed. They know they are meant to be parents and they will continue to fight to make their dreams come true.
Casey and Taylor Wright - Provo, UT (2023)
Taylor and Casey Wright have been married for 9 years since 2014. They always wanted to have a family and have been trying for eight years, since 2015. Casey was surgically diagnosed with endometriosis when she was a teenager. Though she didn’t let that keep her from hoping that she could have children. Over the past eight years they’ve tried many different procedures, ranging from the non-invasive Clomid therapy, chiropractic and acupuncture treatments, to deep excision endometriosis surgery for Casey, 2 IUI’s and 3 rounds of IVF. They even tried looking for a private adoption between 2017 and 2019 without success. They’ve been blessed to have a wonderful marriage and the support from extended family, however, the hole in their hearts resulting from infertility has been difficult to bear. The Hope for Fertility Foundation Grant has been a Godsend and has given them a new hope as they continue their journey with IVF. They look forward to the day they get to hold their babies and realize their dream of having a family.
Jon and Janae DiVita - New Smyrna Beach, FL (2023)
Jon and Janae DiVita have been married since 2019 and live in a small beach town in Central Florida. Jon has served the Central Florida community as a firefighter for over eighteen years. From the start they shared a strong passion to create a family and attempts to get pregnant started quickly. Unfortunately, they faced multiple issues through their pregnancy journey. Janae experienced multiple ectopic pregnancies requiring one of her fallopian tubes to be removed and leaving the remaining tube damaged. During the surgical procedure the doctors also discovered Endometriosis. With this history and medical condition there is a high risk of future ectopic pregnancy, which led them to pursue fertility treatment. To date they have gone through two IVF cycles and transferred embryos on four different occasions. All embryo transfers have failed, except for one that resulted in a miscarriage at nine weeks. Their journey has been a roller coaster, but with their faith, determination and the blessing of the Hope For Fertility Foundation, they will be able to continue pursuing their goal.
Virginia Ann and Tom Sullivan - (2023)
Tom met Virginia Ann in Asheville, NC through his best friend on New Year’s Eve of 2013. They connected immediately and stayed in touch over the years, although it was not until 2017 that the two started dating. They knew immediately that they wanted to start a family together and were married in July of 2019. Tom was serving in the active-duty military at the time, and shortly after the wedding, was deployed overseas. Tom and Virginia Ann made their best effort to conceive in between deployments over the next three years with no success. They suspected there may be other issues at hand and eventually found themselves seeking the help of a fertility specialist, at which point Virginia Ann underwent four unsuccessful IUIs and one round of IVF. They are hopeful for a successful round of IVF with the generous support of the Hope for Fertility Foundation.
Saran and Marvin McCormick - York, PA (2023)
Marvin and Saran have been married since 2014. Saran was diagnosed with PCOS in her early twenties and never knew how this could affect her fertility. They have been trying to build a family for the past 8 years with 4 miscarriages and 1 unsuccessful IUI. During this difficult time their faith in God has kept them. The next step in their fertility journey is IVF treatment. Prayerfully they will have an addition to their family soon. They’re extremely grateful for The Hope for Fertility Foundation and their generosity.
Shealyn and Paul Mencel - Yardley, PA (2023)
Shea and Paul Mencel have been married for more than six years and together for 14. They live in a river town in between Philly and NY with their two rescue pups, Lani and Luna. Paul is the owner of a custom furniture company, Shea is the Co-founder of a startup ensuring all people affected by cancer have access to the resources they need. Shea was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer at the age of 29. Shea reached remission in the spring of 2019, but unfortunately had an early stage metastatic recurrence in February 2021. Although she is doing extremely well in her healing from breast cancer, and went back into remission in April 2022, the recurrence has heartbreakingly removed the option for her to carry their own children. They will be starting their family using a gestational carrier, and are overwhelmed by The Hope for Fertility Foundation’s generosity in helping us make this dream a reality. Not only has the Foundation relieved some of the immense financial stress, but it has provided light and hope into our lives after an extremely challenging few years.
Brian and Sarah Hudson - Amarillo, TX (2023)
Brian and Sarah have been married since 2015. In 2019, after a year of trying to conceive with no success, they had their first appointment with a fertility specialist. After completing genetic testing, it was determined that Sarah is a carrier for Duchenne’s Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the most severe form of Muscular Dystrophy. Their doctor recommended that they jump straight to IVF in hopes of having a baby. After two rounds of IVF and one failed FET, Sarah and Brian decided that adoption was their best option for starting a family. When their local adoption agency merged with Night Light Christian Adoptions, it was then that they learned about the Snowflake Embryo Adoption Program. Brian and Sarah adopted five perfect embryos. However, after two miscarriages, one D&C, one failed FET, and new medical diagnoses (it was discovered that Sarah has Heterozygous Factor Five Leiden blood clotting disorder), Brian and Sarah decided to enter back into the domestic infant adoption program. Brian and Sarah are so thankful that Hope for Fertility Foundation exists so couples like them, who have experienced the headache of infertility, are able to share their journey and story in hope of helping others who also struggle with infertility. The grant money they received will in aid in helping pay the last of their adoption fees, making their dream of becoming parents come true.
Miranda and Russ Winter - Statesboro, GA (2023)
Russ and Miranda met in 2014, married in 2016, and then attempted to grow their family while building their careers. Miranda supported Russ' passion for influencing young people while coaching and teaching middle and high schoolers, spending countless hours working with children that don’t come home with them. They are hoping this opportunity will provide them a chance to have that same impact for a child of their own. After two unsuccessful IUI attempts, their infertility doctor informed them that their only option at this point is IVF. They are thrilled to have received support from The Hope for Fertility Foundation through a grant that will help them on their IVF journey. As a couple, they remain dedicated to making their dreams of starting a family come true, and they are so thankful for The Hope for Fertility Grant and its donors for supporting their goals.
Roxann and Luis Torres - Idaho (2023)
Let's start at the beginning in 2004 Roxann at the age of 14 was diagnosed in the Emergency Room with PCOS and was told she may never become a mother which was devastating to hear something so life changing at such a young age. Fast forward to 2011 at age 21, Roxann was surgically diagnosed with endometriosis and then placed into a medically induced menopause for 6 months as to help the endometriosis not grow back. In 2013, Roxann and Luis met and were married that same year. Shortly after the wedding, they discovered they were pregnant, but after a short 6 weeks, they lost their pregnancy. This turned into a theme over the next 10 years, 5 miscarriages, 2 ectopic pregnancy ruptures losing both fallopian tubes, countless medications, numerous tests, endless doctor appointments and 6 surgeries have led them to their last option: IVF. They are so tired but yet yearn for their own child so badly. No one warns you how much you will blame yourself through this process, but they aren’t ready to give up just yet. Thanks to Hope for Fertility being the biggest piece of their puzzle, they are forever grateful!
David and Beckie Euson - Santa Clarita, CA (2023)
Beckie and Dave have been married for almost 11 amazing years. About half of these amazing years they have been trying to have a child. After two different doctors, 10 IUI's, a uterus surgery, and two miscarriages, they decided it was time to go to IVF. They had a successful egg retrieval that allotted for 4 viable embryos and 2 mosaic embryos. Their first transfer failed in March of 2023 however, they are scheduled for their next transfer and hoping that the testing they did will help them to make their dreams come true! Beckie and Dave are so grateful for the generosity of The Hope for Fertility Foundation for this amazing financial gift.
Josh and EB - Seattle, WA (2023)
Josh and EB have been married for 14 years. Eight years ago, they began trying to build their family. They were told by their doctor that they both had medical conditions that made it difficult to conceive naturally; therefore, they sought medical intervention. They had 2 unsuccessful IUIs and 8 IVF transfers. EB has been pregnant four times from IVF with all pregnancies ending in miscarriages. Their first miscarriage happened at 16 weeks with the stillbirth of their beautiful baby boy. The next three miscarriages happened between 6 to 8 weeks of pregnancy. They have experienced both the joy of getting pregnant and the sadness of losing them. This journey has been difficult and challenging. They are so grateful for the grant because it will be used to build their family.
Lily and Oleg - Auburn, WA (2023)
Lily and Oleg have known each other for over a decade and have been married for the last 4 years. After enjoying some time together as newlyweds, they were ready to start a family and were surprised and disheartened by 2 years of unsuccessful attempts. After many doctors visits, they were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. These heartbreaking news were further complicated by the fact that their health insurance did not cover any fertility treatment. Hope for Fertility gave them newfound hope that there is still a chance for them to welcome a baby as we begin their IVF journey.
Maria and Kyle Kugler - Greenville, SC (2023)
Maria and Kyle met at a marathon race in 2011 and spent the first three years of their relationship running, cycling and swimming together all over Florida. They were married in 2014 and relocated to Greenville, SC where Kyle works as a physical therapy and Maria as a yoga instructor and life coach. After years of trying for children with no luck, Maria and Kyle pursued support for unexplained infertility. The next 5 years included several IUI’s, varicocele surgery, HSG and rounds of mediation before moving to IVF treatment. After years of disappointing results, and negative tests Maria and Kyle are expecting their first child through IVF! The Hope for Fertility Foundation is a blessing that will allow them to continue to grow their family with love and use their struggle to point others to hope in the most challenging times.
Kristen and Andrew Bryant - Greenville, SC (2023)
Andrew and Kristen Bryant began dating in 2013, and 5 years later eloped in a little courthouse on Halloween. The newlywed’s bliss was cut short when in May 2019, the couple suffered their first miscarriage. Two more miscarriages followed, the third resulting in a D&C. After extensive testing and a brand-new diagnosis of Hypothyroidism for Kristen, the Bryants became pregnant again. Kristen was able to successfully carry their daughter Imogen to 32 weeks, upon which her water spontaneously broke. Several days later Imogen Bryant was born via c-section, but unfortunately Kristen suffered a severe post-partum hemorrhage due to uterine atony. After multiple transfusions and a loss of 1.7 liters of blood, an emergency hysterectomy was performed. Imogen spent 85 days in the NICU and was eventually diagnosed with “failure to thrive”, which resulted in the insertion of a g-tube. After coming home both Kristen and Imogen began therapy. Imogen started Occupational and Physical therapy while Kristen started counseling and was diagnosed with PTSD due to the traumatic birth. In October 2022, Andrew and Kristen were able to harvest 7 healthy embryos with the hope to complete thier family via gestational carrier. Thanks to the Hope For Fertility Foundation and all it’s wonderful donors they are able to take the next steps to make their dreams a reality.
Kendall and Michael Hoeft - Seattle, WA (2023)
Kendall and Michael met in 2012 and were married less than a year later. After three years without conceiving naturally, they were concerned and saddened, but as college students, they were unable to afford the necessary diagnostic tests. Three years later, they lived in New York and were able to utilize state- covered testing, only to receive the confusing diagnosis of “Unexplained Infertility.” A year later, and out of Graduate school, they were eager to finally move toward treatments. Their new doctor recommended removing a polyp that might be contributing to the infertility. However, the procedure was put on hold for a year due to the pandemic. Once it was finally complete, they tried again to conceive on their own. After 10 months of trying, they did get pregnant, but suffered a pregnancy loss. The following year, they went through 5 rounds of IUIs, all of which failed. After ten years of waiting for their baby, Michael and Kendall are so excited to take this next step of IVF. They are so grateful for the generous financial assistance and support from Hope for Fertility Foundation.
Heather and Luke von Tagen - Connecticut (2023)
Heather and Luke met through mutual friends way back in 2003. They stayed in touch over the years and became a couple in 2011 and married in 2013. Luke has recently completed 20 years of service in the Navy and is still active duty. They love exploring the outdoors through mountain biking and taking their dogs on long hikes. Both have a love of animals and are life-long horse people. 7 years ago, they decided to start a family and as months turned to years, turned into doctor appointments and disappointments between military deployments, it became clear it wouldn’t be possible without intervention. Heather had endometriosis surgery, and her left tube removed. Military insurance doesn’t cover IVF and they tried many other options before decided it was the only pay to go and pay out of pocket. As luck would have it that was the month that Heather experienced her first bout with menopause at 38. The need for an egg donor easily doubles the cost. After much emotional debate, they still decided to go for it. This grant will help tremendously in helping with these costs and making their dream a reality. They are very excited to finally see some light at the end of the tunnel and praying for a positive outcome!
Zachary and Chelsea Pevitt - Columbus, GA (2023)
Zachary and Chelsea are high school sweethearts; they have officially been together for thirteen years. After five years dating, this will be their 8th year married. Zach is a fireman and Chelsea is a 5th grade teacher. After a few years into their marriage, Chelsea was diagnosed with endometriosis and PCOS. We have gone through two rounds of IVF, genetic testing, miscarriages, and more medical procedures than they care to remember. This will be their third round for IVF and they are hoping for a family of their own. Thousands of dollars in doctor's visits, blood analysis, ultrasounds, medications, procedures, and surgeries are a steep price to pay. However, the hope to make their own family is greater. They are the one in eight that infertility effects. After all this time they haven't given up hope of seeing Zach's blue eyes and Chelsea's curly hair on a baby of their own. They are eternally grateful to Hope for Fertility for this amazing opportunity.
Chelsea and Emily Gillespie - Bronx, NY (2023)
Chelsea and Emily have been trying to conceive since November of 2020. Just a year prior, their lives were turned upside down by the death of Chelsea’s mother, which resulted in the adoption of her then 11-year-old sister Delaney (their father died in 2013 of kidney cancer). The two always wanted children and decided to start trying for a family since they were already raising Delaney and they knew it could take some time since their opportunities to conceive would be limited to some sort of fertility treatment. They first tried an IUI and found out shortly after the procedure that Chelsea was experiencing a chemical pregnancy. They tried again and it did not stick. The third was successful, but they lost the pregnancy around 6 weeks. After that they decided it would be best to switch over to IVF. They have gone through 4 frozen embryo transfers. The first was successful but after hearing the heartbeat, the pregnancy ended in a miscarriage at 9 weeks. The next transfer ended in miscarriage at 5 weeks, and the third was another chemical. They then decided to switch to Emily as the carrier and sadly her first implantation did not take. The couple has switched clinics and they feel much more positive about their new doctor. They are preparing for another transfer and have their fingers crossed for the best after a great deal of heartache. They are extremely grateful to have received a Hope For Fertility Grant which affords them the ability to continue to try without the burden of financial hardship.
Brenna and Eddie Moreno - (2023)
Brenna and Eddie were married in 2017 and started trying in 2020 for their first child. They were fortunate to get pregnant quickly but it ended in an early miscarriage. This happened two more times in 2021 and 2022. They decided to pursue infertility treatments and were successful on their fourth IUI but it ended in emergency surgery for an ectopic pregnancy in 2023. It became clear that IVF was the best option and they plan to pursue treatment this summer. Brenna and Eddie owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to the Hope for Fertility Foundation, their donors and supporters and they cannot wait to start this journey towards parenthood!
Araceli and Irving Godinez - Amarillo, TX (2023)
Araceli and Irving Godinez got married in 2019 and immediately started to try to have a family as the doctor recommended because of Araceli's endometriosis. After trying for a year on their own, their doctor did a surgery on Araceli and realized their only option was IVF since Araceli's tubes were completely closed.They did their first round of IVF in 2022 and unfortunately had a miscarriage. They both seemed overwhelmed with the result as they had used up all of their savings for IVF and there were no other embryos. After much prayer and thought, they decided to do another round of IVF, but they didn't have enough funds. Thanks to Hope Fertility, they have more funds to add for this round of IVF and will be able to try again with hopes for a bundle of joy. From the bottom of their hearts, they would like to extend their gratitude to Hope Fertility for helping make this process possible again.
Aimee and Earle - Los Angeles, CA (2023)
Earle and Aimee were married in February of 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Just in the nick of time! They were thrown into the ultimate newlywed bootcamp of spending 24/7 together and completed quarantine happier than ever. In summer of 2021, they decided to start trying to grow their family. Month after month, they checked pregnancy tests but were met with only one solid line. Aimee went down a Google rabbit hole and tried plenty of “at home fixes” including but not limited to cycle tracking, acupuncture, special diets, yoga, mucinex (lol), vitamins, teas- any and every at home suggestion. In July 2022, Aimee found an abnormal pucker in her left breast, got it checked and was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Her tumors were aggressive and her doctors recommended chemotherapy prior to surgery. In order to preserve the possibility of having biological kids, she did an egg retrieval days before her first round of chemo. She will remain on hormone blockers for the next 5-10 years and is unable to carry any children. Thanks to Hope for Fertility, they will blissfully move forward with a surrogate when Aimee completes radiation and gets back on her feet. They heard somewhere kids require a lot of work?
Trevor and Tristan Bamgartner - American Fork, UT (2022)
Trevor and Tristan were married in 2017 and decided to try to build their family in 2019. After no luck for quite some time, they found out IVF was their only option to conceive a family. Over a time span of 2 years while attempting IVF, Tristan had 10 surgeries, 1 egg retrieval, 4 D&C’s, 5 hysteroscopies, and multiple ER visits. During this hardship Trevor was diagnosed with epilepsy and had his fair share of ambulance rides and ER visits. They plan to move forward building their family through surrogacy and/or adoption. They are so grateful for the support from Hope for Fertility and plan to donate one day to help others build their families!
Raeleen and Kyle Enger - Sioux Falls, SD (2022)
Kyle and Raeleen met seven years ago and have been inseparable ever since. They were married in January 2021, and last year, they moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota with the intention of growing roots in this family-centered community. They knew infertility was going to be a part of their story from the beginning. Raeleen was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 16, and it returned 3 times between 2010 and 2017. As a result of life-saving chemotherapy and radiation treatments, she has premature ovarian failure. However, they are utilizing both an egg donor and a surrogate to build their little family! They are elated to be starting this new chapter in life.
Michelle and Brandon - Geneva, NE (2022)
Michelle and Brandon have been married for 10 years. They both have fulfilling jobs, a son, two loyal dogs and a house to call home. Their journey with infertility started back in 2019 when they wanted to expand their family and have another child. A year later and with no success in conceiving, they were referred to a specialized fertility clinic which helped them figure out the next steps. Their unsuccessful IUI founds - one of which ended in a miscarriage and the stress of trying to pay for fertility treatments. Walking this path of infertility has been heartbreaking but they hold onto their faith. They pray that somehow at the end of this difficult journey, there will be a wonderful and joyous gift from God coming their way. It is through this pain that the couple has found comfort and is eternally grateful for this foundation in supporting their dreams.
Tori and Steve - Layton, UT (2022)
Steve and Tori have been married since 2019. With Tori having been diagnosed with PCOS years before, they started trying for a family immediately. They lost a son, Ian, due to premature labor at 21 weeks +5 days’ gestation, the result of undiagnosed cervical incompetence. They held him for the few minutes he lived. After that heartbreak, they tried to grow their family again. About five months later, they had an early miscarriage. Determined to have the family they so desired, they continued trying. About a year later and after a very high- risk pregnancy, their rainbow miracle baby, Erin Noelle, was born eight weeks early at 3 lbs, 3.5 oz. She spent 33 days in the NICU. They have loved watching her grow, but really want her to grow up with a sibling. Due to Tori’s last pregnancy being so high-risk with cervical incompetence and severe pre-eclampsia that could not be controlled with exhaustive emergency measures, her doctor has advised that she not carry another pregnancy. They now plan to expand their family via a gestational carrier. Steve and Tori want to thank the Hope for Fertility Foundation and its donors for helping give them another chance at a miracle baby.
Olivia and Carlos - Brooklyn, NY (2022)
Olivia and Carlos met in 2012 and were married in 2016. Their love blossomed while exploring the country together, eating good food, and creating inside jokes. They both work with youth and value the opportunity to inspire curiosity and emotional growth. After failing to conceive naturally and with a diagnosis of PCOS, Olivia and Carlos sought help from fertility specialists; however, soon after, Olivia was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. Before starting multiple aggressive treatments, their physicians recommended immediate IVF in an attempt to safeguard their dream of becoming parents. By nothing short of a miracle the one and only opportunity to have an egg retrieval gave them two healthy embryos, now in cryopreservation. While Olivia completes hormone therapy over the next few years, they plan to use a gestational surrogate to help them build their family. They are grateful to have a caring support system and for the reminder to cherish what is important in life. Olivia and Carlos wholeheartedly thank the Hope for Fertility Foundation for their generosity and support during this difficult time.
Nick and Nicole Pahl - Excelsior, MN (2022)
Nick and Nicole Pahl have been together for eight years and married for two. They love the outdoors and their two golden retrievers Blue and Boone. Nicole was diagnosed with a "hole in her heart" at the age of 2. She has had 4 open heart surgeries. The third open heart surgery, at 4 years old, was when her mitral valve was replaced with an artificial mitral valve, and she was placed on a blood thinner for life. It was a choice that was made to save her life, but the doctors noted that she would not be able to carry children due to the risk of bleeding and increased pressure on her artificial mitral valve. Fast forward to the present day. Nick and Nicole have made pro/con lists of every scenario to create a family. In the end, the safest method for mama and baby is to go with a gestational carrier. They underwent one unsuccessful round of IVF/egg retrieval in 2019, and tried again the summer of 2022, where they were able to freeze enough embryos to move forward with finding a surrogate. They are grateful as ever and are ready for the next steps in life, which is to create a family.
Chad and Michelle Baker - Green Springs, OH (2022)
Married for almost ten years, Chad and Michelle have always dreamed of having children and becoming parents. They found out early in their marriage that they would be unable to have biological children due to irreversible male factor infertility. They then started their domestic adoption journey, which turned into an embryo adoption journey. They were blessed with 4 embryos donated to them through Snowflakes Embryo Adoption. Unfortunately, after 3 frozen embryo transfers they still were not pregnant. This grant will help them transfer their last embryo in hopes this one sticks around for the long haul! After all that they have invested in this journey to become parents, they could not be any more grateful for this grant from the Hope for Fertility Foundation.
Leia and Kriston Burroughs - Humble, TX (2022)
Kriston and Leia met in 2011 and married in 2016. After several years of trying, they had the feeling something was wrong and sought medical intervention. Kriston was diagnosed with Azoospermia, or no sperm, because of his Sickle Cell Anemia condition. After months of couples therapy and individual therapy, they have accepted that their journey to parenthood will not be a traditional road and are determined to have a family of their own. With insurance covering 0% of our treatments, fees, medications, and procedures needed, they are grateful to the Hope for Fertility Foundation for their support as they begin their IVF journey.
Cal and Lauren Davenport - Macomb, MI (2022)
Cal and Lauren celebrated six years together and three years of marriage in August 2022. They knew from early on the challenges that they would have trouble growing their family—Lauren was diagnosed with a genetic condition that led to her ovaries being removed at age thirteen. Despite that difficulty, they knew they wanted to eventually “add to their team.” While they are unable to conceive naturally, Lauren recently learned that she is still able to carry a pregnancy and can become pregnant via embryo transfer. They decided to pursue embryo adoption and matched with a donor family. They are planning a FET early next year and are extremely grateful to the Hope for Fertility Foundation for their support in allowing them to take this next step towards the dream of growing their family!
Jordan and Levi Lawry-Shefchik - Madison, WI (2022)
Jordan and Levi met in 2014 while attending the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Their love for each other stemmed from their pure commonality, connection, commitment towards family and personal drive. They married in 2019 surrounded by their closest family and friends and began their journey to become fathers via adoption and surrogacy. Unable to adopt and finding themselves with two unsuccessful surrogate matches, they had to become more strategic and resourceful so they began their outreach within the community. After two long years, they found the most perfect gestational carrier, egg donor, lawyer group, and clinic to support their journey. They welcomed their beautiful daughter in 2021 and they couldn’t be happier. Their carrier decided she would be interested in a sibling journey so they were of course super excited to start this journey again. Unfortunately, they had three failed transfers in 2022 and are more eager than ever to have a successful fourth transfer soon. They are passionate and with the help and support of the Hope for Fertility Foundation they believe they will become parents to more beautiful children.
David and Laura Rhodes - Fairmont, WV (2022)
David and Laura met in 2010 and became fast friends. They began dating in 2011, got engaged in 2012, and married in 2015. They were excited to build their family and began trying in 2019. After many months and exactly a year later, they found out they were pregnant! Amid the COVID pandemic, Laura’s first appointment was virtual at 8 weeks. The first in-person appointment was at 12 weeks, and unfortunately at that appointment they found out Laura was miscarrying. They took a few months to heal and began trying again in November of that year. Another year went by without a pregnancy, so they called a fertility clinic to begin searching for answers. They have undergone 6 IUI procedures with no success. The next step in their journey is to begin IVF. Laura’s insurance doesn’t cover any treatment costs, so they are eternally grateful to have been chosen as a recipient of a grant from the Hope for Fertility Foundation!
Kelsey and Connlin Brown - Zurich, MT (2022)
Connlin and Kelsey Brown are high school sweethearts who have been married for 10 years. They have been trying to start a family for the last 5 years. After struggling to conceive, the couple set up the first of many appointments with an infertility doctor. Initially, tests found Kelsey to be vitamin D deficient. However, after another three months with no results, additional tests were performed which found Kelsey had an irreversibly blocked tube and she was diagnosed with unexplained infertility. They have had 9 rounds of IUI, which heartbreakingly ended in four losses. The first pregnancy was a heterotopic pregnancy that required emergency surgery. The second led to a miscarriage. When more testing was done, they discovered that the baby’s heart had stopped due to a blood clotting condition that formed in the placenta. The third and fourth pregnancies both resulted in biochemical pregnancies. They have made the decision to proceed with IVF, and have scheduled their first round for December 2022. While they have experienced many tears and heart wrenching moments, Kelsey and Connlin remain incredibly hopeful. They’ve only grown stronger and closer throughout, knowing that when they have their children, they will be where they are meant to be…Home.
Katie and Michael G. - Carroll, MD (2022)
Katie and Michael met in 2013, married in 2018, and have been trying to have children for years now. Katie had always felt that something was off, experiencing irregular periods and drastic hormonal changes; however, she was reassured by her GYN that these issues were normal. After ‘trying, but not trying’ for a while and praying their miracle baby would just happen, as so many had assured them it would, it never did. Katie was finally diagnosed with PCOS in 2020. Michael and Katie decided to seek fertility treatments and have since undergone 5 cycles, spent thousands of dollars, and many hours of working overtime without any successful pregnancies. This Hope for Fertility grant has truly rejuvenated them with hope for their future family. Michael and Katie both have now undergone the pregenetic testing to start their journey through IVF in hopes of getting their healthy baby in 2023! They hope their journey can help inspire others to not give up, because good things can happen!
Steven and Kassi - Terreton, ID (2022)
Steven & Kassi met on an airplane in 2016, and later reconnected in 2018. They got married in the summer of 2019 and settled in small-town Idaho. Steven and Kassi live on a family farm where they get to live the American dream. Steven and Kassi have always wanted a family, but little did they know a task so simple for others would be seemingly impossible for them. After two years of being married they decided it was time to start trying for a family. After a year of tracking cycles, negative pregnancy tests, unanswered prayers, and broken hearts they kept coming up empty handed. In 2022 they decided to get some simple tests done and found the reason for their infertility. After three different semen analysis tests with the same results, Steven had zero sperm. More tests were done, and it was discovered that Steven had hormonal imbalances that make it harder for his body to produce sperm. There are so many avenues Steven and Kassi's fertility journey can take, but IVF is the most promising option for the chance at having a family of their own. With the help of a grant received from Hope for Fertility, their dream of starting a family can one day become a reality.
Chris and Jessie Gardner - Florida (2022)
The Gardner’s met in 2008 and it did not take long for them to fall in love. Married in 2013, they both knew they wanted to start a family. Their son Reilly was born in 2015. It was an uneventful pregnancy and they hoped there would be a healthy child. At 21 days old Reilly was diagnosed with the genetic and terminal disease Cystic Fibrosis. This came as a huge shock and their world changed from that point forward. Their journey has taken them to understanding and learning as much about Cystic Fibrosis as possible. They are active in The CF Palm Beach Chapter and have hosted Gala’s to raise funds and awareness. The journey to grow their family was put on hold. It was scary to think that their next child has a 25% chance of also having Cystic Fibrosis. After much prayer and conversation, they knew they were ready to grow their family this year. They were so thankful to get the call that they received this grant! It will help tremendously on their PGT-M testing journey and treatment. They cannot express enough gratitude to The Hope for Fertility Foundation.
Jeremy and Kaho Barden - Minnesota (2022)
Kaho and Jeremy first met in Kobe, Japan in 2015 while attending a wilderness English Bible camp and they married in December 2018. They both knew children were in their future and they assumed it would happen naturally. Fast forward three years and many medical exams later, they received the diagnosis of infertility. The focus was turned to adoption, but the cost of adoption made it seem out of reach. Discovering embryo adoption felt like hope restored. With embryo adoption, they realized that they could rescue the embryos that wouldn’t otherwise be given a chance of life. Being able to experience pregnancy and birth was something special that embryo adoption also provided. They are now in the matching phase of their adoption journey. They are so thankful for the support from Hope for Fertility to get them closer to starting their family!
James and Jenn - Massachusetts (2022)
Jenn and James have been friends since 6th grade. Their friendship grew even stronger in high school as they bonded over their mutual love for basketball, and soon became each other’s biggest supporters on and off the court. It was shortly after their final basketball seasons and days before high school graduation when Jenn received the devastating diagnosis of an incredibly rare form of cancer—clear cell carcinoma of the cervix. Due to the staging and the ferocity of the tumor, it was recommended that she forgo harvesting her eggs, and immediately move forward with a radical hysterectomy. At age 18, it was impossible to fully grasp what this meant for Jenn and James’s future, but unfortunately there was no other choice. At age 33, Jenn has now been in remission for 12 years. After years together, Jenn and James were married in March 2022, surrounded by their loving family, friends, and fur baby Penny. For Jenn and James, it’s going to take a little science and a whole lot of love to grow their family, and they are so grateful for The Hope for Fertility Foundation and its generous donors to help them through their fertility journey.
Rod and Jane - Charlotte, NC (2022)
Rodney and Jane have been married for 6 years. They both knew they wanted to have children, but the road has not been easy. They found out that the only way for them to conceive is through fertility treatments because of the severe hormone fluctuations, diminished reserve, and unexplained infertility. As their last hope, they prayed to use this grant to fulfill and complete their family with IVF. The Hope for Fertility Foundation has been just this, a hope and blessing to their family. They still have faith that this is the answer to their prayers and that their family will be complete.
Jacob and Christine - Suffolk County, NY (2022)
Jacob and Christine met at their first job in 2008 while in high school and became happily married in 2018. Jacob is a 10-year IT Professional, now working in Cybersecurity. Christine is a Preschool Teacher that works with special needs children. After trying to start a family for a few years and reading numerous disappointing pregnancy tests, they decided to start exploring any kind of medical diagnosis for the issues. Jacob learned the heartbreaking news on the day after his 30th Birthday, that he had Hypogonadism and would likely never be able to conceive naturally. This began their fertility journey, first attempting 2 rounds of IUI, both unsuccessfully. They are now in the process of completing their first cycle of IVF and are excited to have just recently completed their first FET! After 4 years of marriage and 10 years together prior, they are both excited to grow their family! They are so grateful that during this extremely emotionally and financially stressful period of their lives, the Hope for Fertility foundation was able to bring some light and hope into their life.
Ellie and Dylan Garrison - Pahoa, HI (2022)
Dylan and Ellie Garrison met during their freshman year of high school. They shared a sense of humor and their love of having fun together made them best friends. Over time, friendship became love and the two have been happily married for 16 years. Creative family building has always been on the table for the Garrisons, long before the infertility diagnosis. The original plan was to pursue family building through having biological children and having children through adoption. In 2014 Dylan and Ellie lost their first pregnancy, it was earth shattering for them both. Subsequent failure to conceive led them to what they referred to as “Plan A… 2.0” and resulted in the successful international adoption of their beautiful son, Myles. In January 2017 in a children’s home in Bogota, Colombia, Dylan and Ellie held their precious son for the first time, both instantly and utterly overwhelmed with love and gratitude. It is this love that inspires them to continue to build their family. They have grieved through miscarriages and a disrupted adoption, but despite the heartaches, they are determined to persevere. They are unyieldingly convinced of God’s hand upon their journey. With open hands, hearts, and minds, the Garrison’s have adopted two embryos and a frozen embryo transfer is planned for January of 2023. With the grant from the Hope for Fertility, the financial weight of this next step forward will be tremendously alleviated and considered an answer to prayer. The Garrison’s have been immensely blessed by the generosity of the Hope for Fertility Foundation and the powerful message of nearness and hope.
James and Elizabeth Holloway - (2022)
In 2015, Elizabeth and James started the process of meeting with a fertility clinic to see if conceiving a baby was an option due to low sperm count. They went thru the process and discovered that they could proceed with ICSI. They produced 3 viable embryos, and in September of 2016, transferred two embryos and froze the other. In 2017, Elizabeth and James welcomed their daughter Harper. As Harper grew, they talked about having another child. At the end of 2020, they discussed starting the process of using their last embryo. In April of 2021, Elizabeth went in for her transfer and they were blessed to again receive word they were expecting another little girl in 2021. Sadly, in June of 2021 they lost their little angel after 5 months in utero. It was absolutely devastating for the whole family. In March of 2022, they decided to start the process again. It was another devastating blow when they were not able to harvest any eggs. Elizabeth and James love being parents and would be elated if they could provide Harper with a sibling. They believe that the addition of a baby would complete their family union. They are forever grateful to The Hope for Fertility Foundation for the support they have given to them and so many going through infertility.
Poncho and Danie - Sonoma County (2022)
Poncho and Danie have been married for nine years and together for ten. Starting a family has always been in the plans and for the first few years it seemed like just a matter of time. Yet, year after year went by with no success. By year seven, they started to be really concerned. Their fertility was placed in the “unexplained” category after some correction in diet, exercise, etc. They feel the unexplained part of things is in some ways worse than knowing a definitive diagnosis. Two clinics have reached the conclusion that IVF is the path for them, and this amazing grant will help immensely in that quest. They couldn’t be more grateful to The Hope for Fertility Foundation!
Jon and Catherine - Louisville, KY (2022)
Jonathan and Catherine Coy are college-freshman-sweethearts and have been married for 4 years. From early on in their relationship, they dreamed about what their family might look like and hoped for the gift of children. After their first year of marriage, they were excited to try and make their dreams of parenthood a reality! Little did they know, they were walking into an infertility journey instead; one that would last them the next three years. After having some testing done, they learned that due to male factor infertility, it became improbable for them to conceive naturally. This news left them with a lot of discouragement, grief, and disappointment because of it. After processing through the news, they prayed for God’s wisdom about how to start their family. They received a clear answer: embryo adoption! Seven months later, they finalized the adoption of eight precious embryos. They will be doing their first frozen embryo transfer (FET) in the coming months and are so excited! They are amazed at the generosity of The Hope for Fertility Foundation, and their tremendous gift which will fund their first FET - this is a huge weight lifted off their shoulders! They feel humbled to receive so much generosity, and don’t know how to say thank you enough. The compassion, support, and kindness of The Hope for Fertility Foundation have been a tremendous blessing to them, and they are grateful for their support as they continue their fertility journey!
Brittany and Frank Heitmann - Newark, DE (2022)
Frank and Brittany have been married for 12 years and together for 18 years. They have had 5 miscarriages since attempting to start their family in 2010, including losing a baby at 21 weeks. They welcomed a beautiful baby girl in 2019, Mia Grace Heitmann, but they soon discovered she had a chromosomal imbalance. Brittany was tested and it was discovered that she carriers the same balanced translocation which caused all of Mia’s problems as well as explained the couple’s many miscarriages. Unfortunately, Mia passed away on June 12th, 2022, at only 2 years old, due to feeding intolerances and a host of other medical issues. With this grant the couple will be able to continue their journey to parenthood through medical advances with pregenetic testing and IVF.
Joe and Brittny Herrington - Eugene, OR (2022)
Joe and Brittny have been married for 8 years and together for 16 years. After they got married, Brittny was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Endometriosis. Over the years Brittny has endured many polyps, cysts, and uncontrollable bleeding. They were told they may not be able to conceive. Joe and Brittny have been trying to have a baby for almost 13 years. They are now ready to begin their journey of IVF and surrogacy with the help of the Hope for Fertility Foundation.
Anna and Blake Lyons - Orem, UT (2022)
Blake and Anna met right after Anna graduated High School. They got married 3 years later and had a COVID wedding in 2020—with only 10 attendees in person and the rest of the family on zoom. Initially they wanted to focus on finishing their schooling (Anna in Accounting and Blake in Mechanical Engineering) before working on growing their family. However, after some time, they had a strong feeling that it was the right time to start trying to have kids. They knew that having children might be a challenge since Anna’s family had a history of infertility. After a year of trying to conceive naturally, they started going to their fertility clinic for help. A diagnosis of unexplained infertility and several failed IUIs made IVF the next best step forward. The Hope for Fertility Grant is a huge blessing as they continue working on bringing a little bundle of joy into their family!
Amy and Austin - (2022)
Austin and Amy have always wanted to raise a football team of kids who would make this world a better place. They had high hopes for starting a family when they got married, but their journey of infertility turned out to be much longer, more confusing, and full of pain than they ever imagined. After multiple rounds of medicated cycles and IUI’s they finally saw two pink lines but lost that baby right before a deployment. They finally moved on to IVF, but it was not successful. After nearly 5 years of trying, one cancelled IVF cycle, two failed IVF transfers and three babies in Heaven, they were left with the diagnosis of “unexplained infertility” and very little hope. However, they found a new doctor who discovered that Amy’s infertility was immune-related and that she will need special treatment to become pregnant and carry to term. Financially drained from IVF, they began to save up for another attempt, unsure when it would be possible. Their prayers were answered when they got the wonderful news from Hope for Fertility, and they are so grateful for the chance to pursue this specialized type of IVF treatment.
The Rivera's - New York (2022)
The Riviera's have been married for four years, but they have been together for over ten years. They met while working in a special education school together and continue to work in public service today. As they struggled to conceive, Danielle found out she had a septum dividing her uterus. This made conception difficult, so they turned to IVF. After 8 unsuccessful IVF transfers and one ectopic pregnancy, they moved on to surrogacy to realize their dream of building their family. Danielle has three jobs to afford the agency fees and her husband works overtime as much as possible. This grant will help support their dream and they are incredibly grateful for the support.
Brook and Hunter Chesher - Coldwater, MI (2022)
Hunter and Brook met in 2017 and they knew that it was meant to be. They both agreed from the start that they wanted to have children. They also knew that the fertility journey would be long, given Brook’s diagnosis of Stage 4 endometriosis. At the same time, they were ready to take it on together. It has now been 4 years of trying to conceive naturally with no success. After multiple fertility shots, medication, and surgeries, they are now in the midst of doing IVF. They are scheduled for their first round of IVF this July.
Zech and Becca - San Diego, CA (2022)
Becca and Zech met in 2009 and became fast friends. They married in 2013 and started trying for a family after Becca graduated from nursing school. Heartbreakingly, Becca was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in February 2019. She had 3 surgeries total, the last one rendering her 100% infertile with a radical hysterectomy. Egg retrieval had been discussed briefly, but would risk spreading cancer further, and it was unspoken but they both thought I might not make it long enough for children to enter the picture. After six rounds of dose-dense chemotherapy, and a scary episode of septic shock which nearly killed her, Becca somehow finished treatment in August 2019. She had a long and difficult road to healing and recovery after that, but they truly believed they were past the worst of it. After some devastating deaths in their close circle, a global pandemic, and living two years cancer free, Becca and Zech began pursuing surrogacy via egg donor – finally allowing themselves to HOPE for a child. Their journey to parenthood has been a bit longer and woven with heartbreak and loss – but the love for their future child grows, and eventually one day, that love will find a home. They are forever grateful to The Hope For Fertility Foundation for getting them this much closer to parenthood!
Nina and Will - Atlanta, GA (2022)
Will and Nina have been trying to complete their family since 2016. Their journey started across the globe in Japan and then continued in Atlanta, Georgia. When they married at age 30, seven years ago, they never thought that it would be so difficult to conceive. Nina has visited four different fertility clinics and had a very different experience at each center. Despite multiple clinics and various tests, they were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. This diagnosis was difficult because it meant that there was not anything to fix as there was no known problem. The Hope for Fertility foundation has shed some “hope” on this dark roller coaster ride. Will and Nina want to share their story to provide some optimism to couples experiencing the same hardships. Five years into this journey, they have never lost hope.
James and Stacey - Georgia (2022)
James and Stacey are summer camp sweethearts and have been married for 11 years. As soon as they married, they began trying to conceive. They spent the first 5 years seeing fertility specialists, but failed surgeries and IUIs. Just as they started planning for IVF, Stacey experienced a severe illness that left her bed ridden for nearly two years. Stacey was then diagnosed with uterine cancer, further delaying their IVF journey. While James and Stacey prepared for the worst, the surgery was hugely successful and by God’s grace the oncologist was able to save Stacey’s ovaries! They took time to heal and then began to research gestational surrogacy. In Nov. 2021, 10 years into their marriage, James and Stacey did their first round of IVF and were able to create one embryo! They now plan on doing one more round of IVF to create more embryos, then embark on the journey of using a gestational carrier.
Kimberly and Travis - Lake Jackson, TX (2022)
Kimberly and Travis have been married for 3 years and together for 7 years. When Kimberly and Travis were not able to conceive on their own, they sought help from their OBGYN and then, from a Reproductive Endocrinologist. Kimberly was diagnosed with anovulation (not being able to ovulate on her own), in addition to endometriosis and PCOS, which had been diagnosed when she was young. As such, Kimberly and Travis pursued IVF and their first round was successful. Their one embryo split into 2 identical twin boys. Unfortunately, Kimberly went into preterm labor at 5 months and they lost both of their sons. December 9, 2020 was the hardest day of their lives. Saying goodbye was not easy. After grieving the loss of their sons, they felt in their hearts that it was time to try again. Their next two rounds of treatment resulted in 2 miscarriages. Kimberly and Travis gave Kimberly’s body time to rest and then started a 4th embryo transfer earlier this year. This transfer was successful and Kimberly is currently pregnant. They are thankful for the Hope for Fertility Foundation that gives hope to those who suffer from infertility.
Tamara and Kelvin - Bronx, NY (2022)
Since Tamara and Kelvin met, she knew her husband was the one and that they wanted to start our family. After she finished graduate school, they became more serious about conceiving but struggled when PCOS took over. They had been trying to conceive naturally despite PCOS, but in 2019, they decided it was time to seek formal treatment. After four failed medicated cycles, they took a break to prepare for IVF. Retrieval was successful with 14 healthy embryos, and they later had two FETs. One was not as sticky as they hoped and the other resulted in miscarriage. After so much pain and sadness, they was speechless when they found out that they were chosen as grant recipients. All they could do was fight back tears and say “Thank you.” When they got off the call, Tamara cried into Kelvin's shoulder because she just couldn’t believe it. Neither of them expected to make it this far in the running. They are truly thankful for the generosity of The Hope for Fertility Foundation and its donors.
Erin and Greg Nichols - Alpharetta, GA (2022)
Erin and Greg started trying to grow their family in 2017. After trying to conceive for a year, they were referred to an infertility specialist. No obvious reason for their lack of a natural pregnancy could be found. After a successful IUI ended in a miscarriage, it was discovered that Erin had a balanced translocation on chromosomes 8 and 10. They could have kept trying naturally but the risk of miscarriage was extremely high. To avoid the potential heartache of recurrent miscarriage, the best option for growing their family was IVF. It took 3 egg retrievals to get 2 viable embryos. The first FET resulted in their beautiful son but their second transfer tragically failed. They are currently gearing up for yet another egg retrieval in the hopes of bringing another child into the world and to give their son a sibling.
Adam and Pamela Glover - Grand Rapids, MI (2022)
Pamela and Adam got married October 2019 and started out already as a family of 3, as Adam has a daughter from a previous relationship. They realized shortly after they got married that their family didn’t feel “complete” and they decided to look into their options for adding to their family. Because Adam had a vasectomy many years before they met, they decided to pursue IVF. They have now completed 3 rounds and there have been so many highs and lows. During their first round, they transferred 2 fresh embryos and lost them to a chemical pregnancy. During the second round, they decided to do the PGT testing and got one embryo to blast. Unfortunately, their baby boy embryo had some abnormal chromosomes and they were unable to transfer. They just completed round three and recently found out that none of their embryos has made it to blast. They are so thankful to get the call that they were nominated for this grant to help them go into their 4th round in a few months! Here’s to their 4th time’s a charm!
Brent and Emily Perkins - Clinton, MS (2022)
In the fall of 2019, Brent and Emily decided to start trying to have a family. Right away, they found out that they were pregnant. They were so excited! Yet, the weekend before their first appointment, they had a miscarriage. The following summer, Emily began experiencing extreme pain. She called the emergency number for her doctor and they told her to come in the next day. She found out she was having an ectopic pregnancy. From that point on, they were not able to get pregnant. Her doctor told her to “just keep trying” and that no testing could be done until they had three losses. At this point, they decided it was time to see a fertility specialist. After three unsuccessful IUI cycles, IVF was recommended. They started the IVF process in January of 2022. It did not have the outcome they were hoping and praying for; they ended with a failed embryo transfer. They never imagined this would be their journey to parenthood. They are thankful for the support from Hope for Fertility that will help fund another round of IVF.
Austin and Sarah - Huntington Beach, CA (2022)
Austin and Sarah live in Huntington Beach, California, with their two rescue pups, Cooper and Teddy! They are college sweethearts and have been married for 3.5 years. They found out that they were pregnant for the first time in December 2020 and couldn't wait to grow their family. Unfortunately, they experienced a miscarriage, but a few months later found out that they were expecting their daughter, Wren. Sadly, they lost her at 16 weeks due to a genetic condition called Meckel Syndrome. From her diagnosis, they found out that they share the same gene mutation and are autosomal recessive carriers. They knew then that their next step would be IVF with PGT-M testing. They are about to start their first IVF cycle and cannot wait to grow their family. They want to thank The Hope for Fertility Foundation for helping make this possible!
Ron and Jessica Doyle - Taylorsville, UT (2022)
Ron and Jessica are two people in love who greatly desire a child and the opportunity to raise that person into a respectful and productive individual. In recent years, they have learned that natural conception is not possible for them, but IVF is. Their parental dream has since rendered them into the financial, physical, emotional and mental stresses that one can only imagine; however, their longing for a child has not stopped. Their family focus is “love and consideration”. They believe good parents must support their child’s talents and interests, while providing a stable environment conducive to learning, growth, and exploring the world; truly finding who they are among multiple aspirations. Jessica comfortingly offers literary, music, art and creativity; while Ron offers historical, policy, mathematic, scientific, and athleticism; a wide breadth of young, youth, teen and adult knowledge to be a perpetual familial resource to them.
Joseph and Heather - (2022)
For the ten years that Heather and Joseph have been together, they dreamed of a future together, a happy home filled with the laughter (and challenges!) of children. They always wanted children, but never knew how badly they needed a child until their daughter, now two years old, was born. She made them the people they are today. “We want to provide her every opportunity in life, and give her the sibling she deserves, a lifelong friend and companion.” They were so thrilled when Heather found out she was again pregnant. Tragically, after a miscarriage at 10 weeks, Heather’s bleeding worsened and she was rushed for emergency surgery, which resulted in her hysterectomy. “We were devastated, heart-broken. We had not only lost our unborn child; we lost the ability to have more children. We have a stable home and much love to give. Family means everything and having more children was never a question.” This grant will be particularly helpful because they will need a gestational carrier, in addition to IVF. With the assistance and generosity of The Hope for Fertility Foundation, Heather and Joseph are that much closer to making their dream a reality.
Abbey and Derik Graham - Colorado Springs, CO (2022)
Abbey and Derik spent their late 20s and early 30s focused on their careers (Derik in the military and Abbey in teaching) and also focused on growing as a couple in their marriage. They assumed that adding children to their family would be easy! At age 30, they started trying to conceive. Now, they have been trying for seven years, having gone through a number of fertility doctors and fertility treatments. Since they have had 13 years together to talk about how amazing their biological children would be, they aren’t quite ready to give up this fight. They couldn’t be more excited to have this help from The Hope for Fertility grant to continue on their IVF journey.
Rob and Karen Leming - Albuquerque, NM (2022)
Karen and Rob always dreamed of growing their family beyond their first child and have been trying to conceive for the last 4 years. Secondary infertility was the given diagnosis due to low ovarian reserve, along with low AMH, which explained their challenges in conceiving naturally. Following that diagnosis, they began working with a fertility specialist and tried a round of IUI, which sadly resulted in a miscarriage. Unwilling to give up, they underwent two egg retrievals in 2021, again experiencing heartbreak with no viable embryos to transfer. Without any insurance support, all treatments were paid for out-of-pocket. Undeterred and with their characteristic perseverance and can-do attitude, Karen and Rob's dream of growing their family is alive and well as they embark on their next chapter of their fertility journey using donor eggs. They consider themselves very fortunate to have found a strong donor match to help them make their dream come true! With the gracious help of the Hope for Fertility Foundation, they are thrilled to be able to move forward with this treatment sooner than expected. Their hearts are filled with the hopes and prayers for successful transfer of healthy embryos!
Ben and Caitlyn Tollakson - Helena, MT (2022)
A year into unsuccessfully trying to grow our family, we learned that we would not be able to have biological children due to male factor infertility. Our diagnosis significantly limited our treatment options. Our infertility specialist discussed embryo donation with us, and we agreed that this felt like the right path for us. During this time, we had also made the decision to become foster parents. The same day our donors signed the paperwork donating their embryos to us, we received our first foster placement and started two of the most beautiful journeys. In October we transferred our first embryo, which resulted in a miscarriage at eight weeks. Complications from the miscarriage required two additional procedures that added to the physical and financial toll. We recently were able to complete our second transfer, and we are hopeful that this transfer will result in a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby. Throughout this time, we have also been able to welcome seven precious children into our home through foster care who have taught us so much about love, loss, and resilience. While this journey hasn’t been easy, God is faithful, and we have discovered so much beauty and joy amidst the heartbreak. The Hope for Fertility Foundation reminded us that there are others who have walked this road ahead of us and who understand what we are going through. Through their generosity and commitment to families like ours, a huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders. We can’t say thank you enough!
Loehn and Abby - Portland, OR (2022)
Eleven years ago, Abby and Loehn met in CPR class in beautiful Portland, Oregon and fell in love. They always knew children were in their future, and that the process would be a journey because Loehn has a spinal cord injury. Now, with the help of Hope for Fertility, they are excited to start the process of growing their family. Abby and Loehn want the public to understand that it is possible to parent with a disability and form a strong and resilient family. They look forward to all the adventures that they will have with their child, particularly those involving getting out in nature.
Adriana and Hector Hernandez - Kennewick, WA (2022)
Hector and Adriana Hernandez live in Kennewick, Washington. They have been trying to conceive naturally for 10 years and have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility. It took Adriana a long time to admit she needed help conceiving because societal norms have deemed this need to be taboo. It can feel that the admittance that getting pregnant is difficult delegates a woman to an imaginary “unworthy” category. She would like to tell you and your partner that you are not alone, that you are worthy, that God just has a different plan for you, and that that is okay. Additionally, because finances were impacting their fertility journey, their doctor told them about RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. From there, they discovered wonderful grant and scholarship opportunities to help us reach our goal of having a family. They want to thank every single one of the organizations on RESOLVE, and the Hope for Fertility Foundation. They are so grateful that the foundation chose and considered them to help pay for a portion of their IVF treatment. They are so excited to move forward with IVF this summer and hope to meet their child next year. From the bottom of their hearts, they want to thank the Hope for Fertility Foundation for the work that they do.
Paul and Joanna Rockwood - Austin, TX (2022)
Joanna and PJ met at a Texas wedding in 2017. Joanna was a bridesmaid and her 3-year-old daughter, Alina, was a flower girl. PJ’s cousin was the bride. The couple quickly connected and began their life together as a family in Colorado. It meant so much for Joanna to find the right partner that would be the best father to Alina. The couple married in June 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Shortly after, they began trying to conceive but experienced a chemical pregnancy, followed by two first-trimester losses. Wanting so deeply to grow their family, they underwent fertility testing. They received a “low” ovarian reserve number for Joanna, but all else came back “normal”. Weekly acupuncture and diet changes became the new normal. With a desire to start IVF with genetic testing, but without the financial means, Joanna and Paul reached out for help. Through the generous grant from Hope for Fertility, Joanna, now 39, and Paul, 34, now have a greater chance to retrieve healthy eggs and test embryos for a stronger pregnancy. They are praying for a child together and a sibling for Alina, but they are open to adopting a child in need of a great home. They are endlessly thankful and are elated to have this opportunity.
Denis and Kim - Sacramento, CA (2022)
Kim and Denis have been together for almost 16 years and married for almost 8 years. They have always wanted a family but assumed that it would just happen naturally. Unfortunately, Kim has PCOS and stage 4 endometriosis, for which she has undergone two surgeries. These diagnoses have made the journey long and hard. Kim and Denis have done one round of IVF that was not successful. They had one natural miracle pregnancy but lost the baby after 9 weeks. Kim and Denis have been on a long hard road of infertility but know that one day they will be blessed with a family. They are so thankful for the Hope for Fertility’s generosity for granting them another opportunity to try again at their dreams of being parents
Tim and Jess Slack - Viroqua, WI (2022)
Tim & Jess’s path to parenthood has been filled with twists and turns, the deepest hurts, and the most profound joy. They both recall talking about their desire to have children on one of their very first dates. Unfortunately, on their subsequent date, the mood was a bit more somber—the conversation shifted from future children to the devastating news that Tim had been diagnosed with cancer at the young age of 27. After a year of surgeries, radiation, and many ups and downs, they were ready to begin trying to build their family. After multiple failed fertility treatments, they decided to shift gears and pursue adoption. This adventure led us to their son, Harlyn (2), who they officially adopted in August of 2021. Parenthood has been the most rewarding experience and a dream come true. The challenges they have faced on our journey to parenthood have allowed them to gain valuable skills in persistence, the power of optimism, and unwavering love and admiration for one another. They now look forward to attempting to complete their family through IVF. They will be forever grateful to The Hope for Fertility Foundation for helping their dreams come to fruition!
McKenna and Trey Smith - Eagle Mountain, UT (2022)
Trey and McKenna have been married for 5 years and have been trying to conceive for almost 3 years. They knew once they got married it would be a struggle to start their family due to McKenna’s PCOS. After 3 failed IUIs, 1 failed IVF transfer and 2 surgeries to reconstruct McKenna’s uterus, this Hope for Fertility grant couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. As they are getting ready to start another transfer, they are so grateful to be a recipient of this grant. With this grant, they can find a little more hope moving forward.
Colette and Sean Thomas - Redford, MI (2022)
Sean and Colette have been trying to conceive for 5 years. While Colette is a 3rd grade teacher and Sean is a part time youth basketball coach, the journey to having a child of their own has been more difficult than either of them anticipated. After losing her mom to cancer in 2017, Colette unexpectedly found out she was pregnant! This would be the couple’s first child and they were overjoyed, but sadly, that pregnancy ended in miscarriage at 8 weeks. Sean and Colette went on to experience two more natural miscarriages before seeing a fertility specialist. Now in the process of undergoing IVF and feeling the immense financial strain, Sean and Colette were absolutely speechless to find out they would be recipients of the Hope for Fertility grant this year! It couldn’t have come at a better time, and they are beyond grateful to be given this incredible opportunity and blessing.
Erica and Ryan - Fort Collins, CO (2022)
Erica and Ryan were married in December of 2020 and had hoped to have children right away. However, a few months before their wedding, Erica was shockingly and unexpectedly diagnosed with Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI). They were told their chances of conceiving were less than 1%. They began researching POI and making every effort to increase their chances for pregnancy through diet, lifestyle, acupuncture, and more. Yet, they struggled to find a reproductive endocrinologist who was willing to treat this challenging condition. During the summer of 2021, they were able to find a doctor and underwent extensive testing, laparoscopic surgery, and eventually two IUI cycles - one that failed, and one that was canceled due to the lack of a response. Erica and Ryan decided to pursue embryo adoption and are hopeful and excited to be matched and begin growing their family through this incredible gift.
Caleb and Tara Poe - Sioux Falls, SD (2022)
Caleb and Tara have been trying to conceive for over 2 years. They had one natural pregnancy 4 months into their journey, which unfortunately ended in miscarriage. After countless appointments and fertility testing, they were diagnosed with unexplained infertility. They went through multiple medications, 3 IUI cycles, and 1 round of IVF - all of which failed. They are starting a second round of IVF and praying to finally start their family. The physical, emotional, and financial pain throughout this journey is overwhelming and all-consuming. While they wouldn't wish this upon anyone, it provides comfort knowing that they are not alone. They will forever be grateful to The Hope for Fertility Foundation for their generosity and desire to help them fulfill their dream of becoming parents.
Carson and Mayce Reed - Pocatello, ID (2022)
Carson and Mayce have been married for 7 years and trying to conceive for 6 of those years. At their initial testing, they were told that it might be difficult for them to have a child. At that point, they did not realize how hard it would really be. After years of oral medication and countless other suggestions, they received some answers from the fertility specialist. Genetic testing found that Carson was a carrier for cystic fibrosis and he was also diagnosed with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD). Mayce has a history of endometriosis in her family. With theses obstacles now in the light, their only option is IVF treatment. Family is an important part of their lives. They each come from large families and have watched their siblings become parents over the past several years. Having a baby to complete their family has always been a dream and the financial assistance provided by The Hope for Fertility Foundation is helping to make that dream a reality.
Nicole and Roxanna - California (2022)
Since 2020, Nicole and Roxanna have been hoping to build their family. Unfortunately, after their fourth IUI, Nicole was diagnosed with unexplained infertility. Due to financial reasons, they were unable to move forward with IVF, so they continued pursuing IUIs, hoping for a successful outcome. After almost two years of fertility treatments and eleven medicated cycles of IUIs, they had two miscarriages. Nicole and Roxanna were losing hope while also grieving their losses. They were coming to an understanding that this might be the end of their fertility journey. The Hope for Fertility grant provided them with the chance to keep trying and to move forward with IVF. They are forever thankful, grateful, and feeling so blessed to have the opportunity to grow their family. They have hopes for a healthy and positive outcome: their rainbow baby!
Josh and Caitlin - San Marcos, TX (2022)
If there are two things Josh and Caitlin love in life, it’s food and people. They grew up at very different dinner tables in two cultures across the country. They met and married a little later in life and are learning how to merge their two backgrounds and cultures to create a new family. They have been trying to conceive for over 3 years. It was discovered that Caitlin has severe endometriosis, which wasn’t a surprise since her mother and grandmother both had it. Josh and Caitlin were told IVF was the only option for them to have biological children and are currently pursuing treatment. Today, one of their joys is feeding hungry college students around their dinner table as they’ve committed their lives to mentoring others in their faith-based non-profit organization. They long to add a “little one” to their own dinner table and are truly grateful for the Hope for Fertility Foundation’s generous grant which makes this journey possible.
Lauren and Kurt Crawford - Bedford, PA (2022)
Lauren and Kurt have been together for 12 years, married for a little over 3 years, and are so excited to start a family together. Shortly after they were married, they began trying to conceive. To their surprise, they got pregnant very quickly. Yet, when Lauren had a miscarriage at six weeks, they discovered that Lauren had LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults) and Hashimoto's disease. This was overwhelmingly difficult to comprehend given the miscarriage they had just suffered. After months of testing, they were advised they could continue trying to conceive and assumed they would conceive quickly, like the first time. When this was not the case, they turned to a fertility doctor who provided testing and oral medication. When they still did not conceive, they changed doctors and began attempting IUIs. After two failed attempts, it was recommended that they move forward with IVF. The Crawford's could never have anticipated the medical expenses that they endured after countless doctors’ appointments, diabetes testing, and fertility treatments. They were intimidated by the financial stress of IVF. They are now so excited to receive a grant and it will lift some of the financial burden of continuing forward in trying to start a family.
Lily S. and John F. - Lincoln, NE (2022)
Lily and John have gone through every treatment and test imaginable for the last 7.5 years. Lily has celiac disease and after a year and a half of trying to conceive, was clinically diagnosed with endometriosis, PCOS, and Allen-Master's syndrome in 2016 during a D&C procedure. Lily was also diagnosed with low egg count due to endometriosis. Despite these diagnoses, Lily and John tried many different medications and went through several rounds of unsuccessful IUI treatments. Yet, they are now pursuing IVF because a genetic disorder was discovered in Lily's genetic testing: X-Linked Alport's Syndrome. This syndrome would predispose her children to kidney disease, which is prevalent on her mother’s side of the family. In fact, Lily’s younger brother, who is only 28 years old, is on a kidney transplant list due to this syndrome. As such, John and Lily are undergoing IVF after years of infertility and to prevent the monogenic disease of Alport's Syndrome from continuing in their family.
Michael and Courtney Horning - Belgrade, MT (2021)
When Courtney and Michael married they knew from the very beginning there was no way to start a family naturally. Michael is a paraplegic as a result of a horrible car accident when he was 18 years old. When Courtney and Michael met they both knew they wanted to start a family together one day, but because of Michael’s spinal cord injury the chances of conceiving naturally were slim to none. Michael works from home as a Project Manager while Courtney bustles around Montana as a Canine Behavior Specialist. After being married for several years and raising their five canine kids they decided they were ready to start trying to have a baby and IVF was the only viable option. They are currently in the midst of their IVF cycle in the hopes of finally achieving their dream of having a family together despite Michael’s injury.
Joshua and Daymiris Echeverria - Jersey City, NJ (2021)
Daymiris and Josh have been trying to start a family since October of 2019. After a year of no success, they began testing. An HSG revealed that Daymiris had blocked fallopian tubes. They had a laparoscopy in Feb 2021 to attempt to unblock them, but it was unsuccessful. Both tubes were completely enclosed in scar tissue due to silent endometriosis. Their only recourse for a biological child was IVF, which they would have to pay out of pocket. Their first round of IVF stimulation in June yielded 8 healthy embryos! They look forward with hope and anticipation towards their first frozen embryo transfer attempt later this summer. The Hope for Fertility Grant will help them close the financial gap as they take this next step towards their dream of starting their family.
Nick and Alyssa Nay - Centerville, UT (2021)
Nick and Alyssa have been trying for over two years to get pregnant. Alyssa was diagnosed with PCOS, making the pregnancy attempts a difficult and painful process. Alyssa has had to take two trips to the Emergency Room during this process due to severe pelvic pain. After four failed Clomid cycles and four failed IUI attempts, they decided with their doctor that it was time to attempt an IVF cycle. The Hope For Fertility grant has made this goal a reality for them, and they are very excited to start this process and grow their family.
Ryan and Katie - Southern Pines, NC (2021)
"We want nothing more in the world than to start our family. We have been together 11 years, married for 7, TTC for 6 and have not once even had a pregnancy. We have cried, begged and pleaded with God with literally NO answers even after seven medicated IUIs, multiple procedures and more than a lifetime worth of heartache. The backbone of us as individuals and as a couple as always been faith. We are an active military couple and are looking forward to starting this IVF journey in the hopes that we can start our family. "
Traven and Marissa Hoyt - Helena, MT (2021)
"After our first wedding anniversary, my husband and I couldn’t wait to start trying to build our family. Unfortunately, we had no idea of the battle with infertility we soon would face. We’ve been diagnosed as having male factor infertility and have been trying to conceive for almost two years. We’ve explored a few different treatment options, hormone therapy for my husband and an IUI, both of which were unsuccessful. Our RE ultimately recommended IVF as our best option for success for our case. We recently had our IVF egg retrieval and are eagerly awaiting the results of our embryos! When we found out that we had been chosen as grant recipients, I was speechless. It’s humbling to know that there’s people out there who care about us and want to help us start our family. We will be forever grateful for the generosity from everyone at The Hope for Fertility Foundation."
Brian and Kim deMontfort - Canton, GA (2021)
Brian and Kim have been on their journey of starting a family for 5 years. Kim became unexpectedly pregnant in 2016, this pregnancy quickly ended in miscarriage at 9 weeks. Kim went on to miscarry 3 more times before seeing a Fertility Specialist. With unexplained fertility, PCOS, and recurring loss Kim went through 1 round of IVF to become pregnant a 5th time. Unfortunately this too would end in heartache, as Kim lost their son Sawyer at 23 weeks. After the trauma of losing Sawyer, Brian and Kim agreed that Kim's body had been through enough. Their next attempt at starting their family will involve a Gestational Carrier using the remaining eggs from IVF. To find solace they like to hike, mountain bike, and camp in the great outdoors. They can't wait to start their Surrogacy journey, and pray that they will (finally) take home their Rainbow baby!
Erick and Gabriella - Miami, FL (2021)
"My name is Gabriella. My husband, Erick, and we have been trying to conceive for the past 5 years up until now through the IVF process. After consulting many doctors, Erick was diagnosed with Azoospermia which is essentially No Sperm count. This was a shock to us. We’ve gone through emotional, physical pain and of course financial hardships throughout this process but we remain hopeful. Our love for each other’s and that of the people around us and the dream of, ultimately, becoming parents keeps us pushing harder day after day. We are blessed with many nieces and nephews whom only strengthen our hopes and dreams and we will not give up until we get to hold our own “bundle of joy.” It’s been a long road for us and through pill treatment, Erick’s sperm count has been enough to proceed with IVF. We’re strong and we know that, with each passing day, we are closer and closer to being “mom and dad.” After 2 negative pregnancy results, our 3rd Embryo transfer is coming up pretty soon. Erick and I are thankful for all the doctors, nurses and medical staff who continue to care for us and go through this process with us. Also, we are thankful to “Hope for Fertility Foundation” for their generosity and being a big piece of this puzzle. In final, “whatever the mind can conceive, if you believe, you can achieve.” We believe! We thank you for helping and for your generosity to positioning us closer to making our dream a reality."
Colt and Sara Teuscher - Louisville, KY (2021)
" After meeting again in 2016, Colt and Sara soon married and began their journey to become parents. They knew the process might be challenging as Sara has multiple autoimmune disorders. Throughout the process, Sara was additionally diagnosed with PCOS and diminished ovarian reserve. Multiple failed IUIs have brought about the need for IVF. Both Colt and Sara work with military members. After serving in the Marine Corps, Colt now aids military personnel through his efforts at the USO; Sara teaches military children for the Department of Defense. They look forward to taking their little one on adventures throughout the world , creating love and friendships as they go. They understand the struggles couples with infertility face and are grateful for the opportunity to achieve their dream of parenthood. "
Kurt and Kelsey Ludemann - (2021)
Kurt and Kelsey's story has been a mix of infertility and loss. They were married five years before being told by doctors that ""having a baby may not be in the cards"" for them. Miraculously, they conceived their daughter, Davie Belle, in 2016 but shortly after, they had another obstacle to overcome. Kelsey was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at her six week postpartum checkup and was given the instructions to begin the conception process when Davie was six months old in preparation for a radical hysterectomy when the family building was done. Months went by before Kurt and Kelsey got another positive pregnancy test, but at 8 weeks, on holiday in Switzerland, they learned that they were pregnant with an ectopic pregnancy in the left fallopian tube. Encouraged to try again the next cycle, Kelsey became pregnant with another ectopic on the right side. Both tubes had ruptured and only one ovary and her uterus remain. Kurt and Kelsey have prayerfully considered next steps in building their family and have chosen to pursue embryo adoption. They are very thankful to feel the support of The Hope For Fertility Foundation through their generous giving and are excited to see what is in the future for their family.
Tim and Kellie Hale - (2021)
Tim and Kellie have been building their family with the help of IVF technology since 2015. They struggle with male infertility, resulting from Tim being born with a condition called bladder exstrophy. In total they have completed two IVF cycles (each included a fresh embryo transfer) and four frozen embryo transfers. They have had two successful pregnancies and are currently pregnant with a third. They are so grateful to all of the professionals who have helped them along the way.
Kenya and Kandace Brumfield - Fort Worth, TX (2021)
Kandace and Kenya had been trying to conceive for over two years when they decided to reach out to an infertility specialist. It was then determined that Kandace had low ovarian reserves and they were told their best chance at a biological child was through IVF. They underwent one round of IVF and at the end of this painful journey it was unsuccessful. Kandace and Kenya are never ones to give up on their dreams, but they couldn’t imagine going through the painful and expensive uncertain journey of IVF once more, so they looked for other alternatives to grow their family. Since Kandace and Kenya are both very charitable people and are always looking to help others, domestic adoption was the perfect answer for them. This was their way to grow their family while helping a child and family in need at the same time. Kandace and Kenya look forward to raising the awareness of the great need for more families to adopt through their example.
Aaron and Laurie Burke - Manchester, NH (2021)
"Dear Baby Burke, I want to introduce ourselves; my name is Mom and Dad is also here; he’s sitting right next to me. He’s always next to me because he’s my best friend. We want you to know how loved you already are and that Mommy and Daddy will always be there for you every step of the way. (Oh, one thing you will learn is that Mommy is funnier than Daddy. He would disagree, but we all know the truth.) So, let’s start from the beginning. Mommy had some pesky tumor tenants that got in the way of you moving in, but they have recently been evicted so your room is here waiting for you. Mommy may have been working on your house, but Daddy has been working on your home. You have 4 grandparents that are dying to spoil you and 12 nieces and nephews that are so excited to play with you! See you soon, Mom & Dad "
Austin and Shauna Jessup - Las Vegas, NV (2021)
Austin and Shauna have been trying to start a family for the last 7 ½ years. After multiple genetic and hormone testing and 4 unfortunate miscarriages, they were diagnosed with unexplained infertility and early recurring pregnancy loss. Over the years they have had a total of 8 IUI cycles and just recently a failed IVF transfer. With the help of The Hope for Fertility Foundation they will be able to undergo a second round of IVF with high hopes of a positive outcome.
Ryan and Madison Wells - Bountiful, UT (2021)
"We have been married for almost 3 years and are anxious to start our family. However, I [Madison] was born with a genetic condition called Marfans Syndrome that effects the connective tissue throughout my body. We’ve discovered that through IVF with PGD we can have our embryos tested to ensure that there is no chance of our children developing Marfans. This brings us such comfort and mitigates the fear we’ve had of passing Marfans on to our future children. While trying to save all the money we could in order to afford IVF with PGD, we unexpectedly got pregnant on our own. Not long after finding out we were pregnant, I suffered a miscarriage. This has made our desire to follow through with IVF even stronger and we feel so incredibly blessed to have received this grant and be that much closer to growing our family."
Jacob and Brianna Guillory - Farmington, NM (2021)
"We always knew we wanted children and started trying right away. Unfortunately Heavenly Father had a different plan for us. We tried for a year without any luck and started down the path of fertility tests and treatments. Brianna was diagnosed with PCOS at the age of 14 so we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We saw a specialist who put Brianna on medication to help. Within a month we found out we were pregnant. We were overjoyed. Unfortunately at 10 weeks we found out that the baby had stopped progressing at 5 weeks and Brianna underwent a d&c. We were completely heartbroken. On our due date we found out that we were pregnant again and Had our sweet McKenna she was born February 4, 2015. She came 4 weeks early and we were told she shouldn’t be alive because she was severely anemic. She stayed in the NICU for 5 days where we found that she had multiple holes in her heart that required her to undergo open heart surgery at 7 months old. Needless to say we were thrusted in parenthood. After 2015, we went through 9 more miscarriages, multiple D&Cs, surgeries, heartache, and love. Every test that we had showed we were normal and there wasn’t a reason why we miscarried. We found a doctor who told us that 10 miscarriages were to many and told us that we were a perfect candidate for IVF. With IVF we would be able to test our embryos genetically to find the cause of our miscarriages. Since then we have had that goal in our minds and we are so excited to hopefully expand our family."
Danny and Melanie Boyd - Highlands Ranch, CO (2021)
Melanie and Danny have been trying to start a family for six years. They have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility and have experienced multiple pregnancy losses. They have tried multiple ways to get pregnant recommended by their doctor but with no success. After consulting with a fertility specialist, it’s been recommended they do IVF. They are grateful options are still available to them and feel hopeful as they embark on this new journey. They are grateful for family and friends who have been supportive and loving as they go through this difficult trial.
Jeff and Kayla Kennedy - Manassas, VA (2021)
Jeff and Kayla were able to get pregnant 4 months after getting married and while the pregnancy was a surprise, they were both overjoyed! Unfortunately, at their 8 week ultrasound appointment there was no heartbeat found and they suffered a miscarriage. Jeff and Kayla would go on to have 3 more miscarriages (total of 4 between 2015-2018.) They found out that Kayla is a BT (balanced translocation carrier) and this has been the cause of all the miscarriages. They were urged to go to a fertility clinic to do IVF as this was the best way to get a normal chromosome baby. However, they were not ready emotionally, physically or financially to do IVF. After trying to conceive on their own the next two years, they were not able to get pregnant again. In August of 2020, Jeff and Kayla met with the infertility specialist and started their IVF journey. Kayla was diagnosed with PCOS in addition to her BT. They were able to have a successful IVF treatment resulting in 2 normal embryos and 1 mosaic and are currently pregnant with their first frozen embryo transfer!
Alex and Kate S. - Houston, TX (2021)
Alex and Kate never imagined bringing a child into the world would be such a hard journey. After years of trying, they finally visited with a fertility specialist. IUI's were the suggested recommendation. With IUI's in progress, Alex and Kate bought their first home to prepare for family life. Each IUI was exciting with hope followed by crushing despair. After six failed IUI's, Kate was diagnosed with unexplained infertility. The new recommendation became IVF. This year Alex and Kate hope to receive the good news of a successful conception and a beautiful child to fill their home.
Dylan and Laura Taylor - Salt Lake City, UT (2021)
Laura and Dylan have been married for 8 years and have tried unsuccessfully to conceive for nearly 3 years. At just 15 Laura was told she had a uterine didelphys, and that complications from it required surgery. Surgeons found extensive endometriosis that destroyed a Fallopian tube and left Laura with an infertility diagnosis and many years of procedures and visits to specialists. The uterine didelphys made it uncertain that she could ever carry a baby to full term. In 2019 the uterine didelphys was diagnosed as a uterine septum and in 2020 it was successfully removed to leave one healthy uterus. The couple found out that Dylan suffers from infertility, as well, and after a year on Femara and two unsuccessful IUI's they still could not conceive. Laura is a public school theatre teacher, and Dylan has been a student working to obtain his undergraduate, and then graduate degree. It's been a long journey, but they are hopeful that this grant and IVF might make their dreams of becoming parents a reality!
Melvin and Jasmine Shirley - Clinton, MD (2021)
Melvin and Jasmine Shirley have been trying to conceive for six years. Unsuccessfully trying to conceive for this long prompted them to get checked out and discover that Melvin has an infertility issue called oligoasthenospermia, in which his sperm has low motility. Their doctor informed them that they have about a 5% chance of conceiving naturally and recommended IVF as their best option. Being servants at heart, Melvin is in the process of starting a nonprofit organization to serve the homeless population in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. Jasmine currently serves as a grief share facilitator in her church to support individuals journeying through various grief experiences. Having lost her mom in 2014 and her dad in 2015, helping others navigate their grief journeys has become very important to Jasmine. Both are very eager to start and share their IVF journey and to be a voice and source of inspiration to other couples experiencing infertility, especially male infertility, as they believe it is a topic and challenge that is not spoken about enough in their community. They are super excited to receive this grant to aid in making their dream of being parents a reality! They express their deepest and most sincere gratitude to The Hope for Fertility Foundation.
Tony and Anita Aguilar - Desoto, TX (2021)
Anita and Tony have been trying to conceive for more than 10 years. Diagnosed with unexplained infertility they decided to seek medical help. They did IUI 4 times which all failed before moving on to IVF. In between treatments Tony had to have brain surgery due to his condition of epilepsy. July 2020 Anita had surgery to remove a uterine fibroid which would have prevented her from getting pregnant. November of 2020, they did their first transfer which resulted in a positive pregnancy but later she miscarried at 6 weeks. They will soon be transferring their last embryo. They both love serving in groups in their community. Anita works in the field of education as she has a passion to not only teach but show the students unconditional love. Thanks to the grant they are hopeful they will soon be adding to their family.
Jordan and Kaylin Morris - Northern California (2021)
"Jordan and I have been trying to conceive for the past three years. After being diagnosed with low ovarian reserve, we started clomid cycles, followed by three IUI treatments. Our first IUI was successful, but ended in a miscarriage. Having suffered from miscarriages previously, the doctors performed more tests and found out that I have Factor V Leiden, forcing me to take daily blood thinner injections. The next two IUIs were unsuccessful. Knowing that our best chance of a successful pregnancy would be with an egg donor through IVF, we have decided to move forward with this process. The mental, emotional and financial stress has been overbearing at times. We are so grateful for The Hope for Fertility Foundation to help ease some of that stress."
Julian and Samantha Rossi - Chicago, IL (2021)
Samantha and Julian were given the gift of parenthood in March of 2016 to a 24-week, 1.5 lb. preterm baby, Noelle. Shortly after bringing their micro preemie home at the end of their four-month NICU stay, Julian was diagnosed with testicular cancer in October of 2016. His oncologist and urologist advised that less than 1% of men become sterile after removing the cancerous portion of their testicle. Since Samantha and Julian’s insurance would not cover sperm storage, they had to rely on that statistic at the time. After Julian’s surgery and an unsuccessful year of trying to conceive, the couple had further testing done, which their insurance refused to cover. Doctors did not lose hope for fertility and recommended a deeper look with an exploratory surgery, and multiple semen analyses. Julian and Samantha later learned that Julian fell into that 1% of men rendered completely sterile. Over the course of a few months, Julian noticed his body beginning to change physically. After yet more testing, it was shown that Julian’s testosterone was severely low. After being told that the only way to maintain his health and prevent further deterioration, he was quickly prescribed testosterone replacement therapy. Samantha and Julian acknowledged and understood that this would be the end of any hope of having more biological children. After a long and difficult four years of being on donor lists, a wonderful couple decided to give the gift of five embryos to Samantha and Julian. They are currently working with a clinic in hopes of a successful transfer.
Kevin and Deanna Didreckson - Stevens Point, WI (2021)
Kevin and Deanna have been trying for a baby for 6 years. Deanna has PCOS and Kevin has unexplained male fertility issues. They are going to be moving forward with IVF the Summer of 2021, due to that being offered as their best option for biological children. They are eager to start their journey and to hopefully add a new addition to their family.
David and Laura Kim - Crownpoint, NM (2021)
David and Laura Kim were married in 2008. After a year of not conceiving, they pursued medical help. Through the last 13 years they have undergone several IUIs, holistic treatments, and in 2018, their first IVF cycle. This led to a successful pregnancy with twin boys, but miscarried at 11 weeks. This was a devastating time in their lives. They took the next few years to heal emotionally, mentally, and physically. Through the generous grant from Hope for Fertility David and Laura, now ages 41 and 36, are ready to pursue a frozen embryo transfer in hope of expanding their family
Rachel and Bryan - Indiana (2021)
"We met online in 2010 and were married in 2011. We wanted children right away but was aware that fertility issues were going to be involved. Bryan has Klienfelter’s syndrome and after starting IUI fertility treatments it was discovered that Rachel had issues that would cause a high-risk pregnancy. We knew in our hearts that we wanted children and there was a reason god placed two people with fertility issues together. Although there were many emotions along the way with our first two adoption journeys, they both ended exactly the way we envisioned them. Our first daughter was born in 2013 and our second in 2015; both newborn adoptions. Both girls are truly amazing gifts and their birth parents were just as amazing. We cannot wait to hold our third baby in our arms and bring him/her home to their forever family. We love the idea that all of our children will be able to share the blessing of adoption and lean on each other for support. We want to be able to bless children with opportunities they may not have had. We hope instill good moral beliefs, faith, and raise them to be caring, compassionate, responsible adults. We are very blessed and thankful to receive a grant from The Hope for Fertility Foundation!"
Nelly and Laz - Florida (2021)
Shortly after getting married, Nelly and Laz began trying to conceive to build their little family. They have been on this journey for the past two and a half years. Nelly and Laz have undergone 3 failed medicated Intrauterine Inseminations (IUI), 1 failed medicated timed intercourse, countless blood draws and ultrasounds, Hysterosalpingogram, multiple semen analyses, and 2 Saline Infusion Sonograms, which all lead them to their diagnoses. Laz was diagnosed with high levels of Antisperm Antibodies and bilateral Varicocele. Nelly was diagnosed with severe diminished ovarian reverse/low AMH, poor egg quality, Natural Killer cells, Antiphospholipid Syndrome, and MTHFR. With these results, they then began their first cycle of IVF with ICSI. During their first IVF ICSI cycle, only 1 embryo made it to the blastocyst phase. Two months later, their reproductive endocrinologist transferred their one and only embryo. Shortly after seeing the most awaited two pink lines for the very first time, Nelly experienced a miscarriage, known as a chemical pregnancy. They were beyond devastated to have lost this precious angel. After taking some time to make countless changes in their diet, environment, and everyday lives, they geared up for their second IVF with ICSI cycle. Like many couples, Nelly and Laz’s employers do not give any type of fertility coverage. Everything has been out of pocket. This unexpected second IVF cycle came unexpectedly too soon and they hope this grant can help with some of the costs. Nelly works as a Vascular Sonographer at the Veterans hospital and has been a frontline worker throughout the pandemic. Laz works as a purchasing agent for military aircraft parts, so he was also considered essential personnel since the beginning of the pandemic. Nelly describes her infertility journey as the most emotionally, mentally, and physically painful journey she has even had to face. Her absolute lifelong dream has always been to become a mother. Nelly and Laz’s faith is strong and they truly believe that with God, all things are possible. Their miracle rainbow baby is coming with their second IVF ICSI cycle.
Ty and Sara - Driftwood, TX (2021)
Ty and Sara have been married for 11 years. Their desire to grow a family began many years ago. Since 2014, they have endured two early miscarriages, a second trimester loss with their son, Oliver, and an ectopic pregnancy. They are prayerfully considering their next steps and are incredibly grateful for the Hope for Fertility grant to help ease the financial burden of future treatments. Ty and Sara have been richly blessed with a loving community, dear friends and family who have held them in grief, and a wonderful health care team so near to their hearts. They are thankful for the brief time they had with their children and take comfort knowing they will hold them again one day.
Stormy and Jonathan Nguyen - Piqua, OH (2020)
Stormy and Jon have been trying to have a baby for over ten years. Stormy has PCOS. The Nguyens have attempted four IUI’s. All were unsuccessful, and one ended in a miscarriage. They want so badly to be parents and to have a child of their own. We hope that this will be their year that they will be able to have their little miracle.
Shelby and Justin Caraher - Salem, OR (2020)
Shelby and Justin have been trying to conceive for over two years. Diagnosed with unexplained infertility and early recurring pregnancy loss, they have done nine rounds of Clomid and two IUI cycles. Through these treatments they have had four miscarriages. They were so excited to find out that they were pregnant that they started to get the nursery put together, but soon found out that they had miscarried. Now it’s been recommended that they do IVF with genetic testing. This opportunity brings them hope, and they are looking forward to higher chances getting to bring home their baby. They have been blessed with a huge support system of people who love them and share of Shelby and Justin’s goodness and deep desire to start their family.
Sarah and Ryan Hoffman - Forsyth, MO (2020)
Sarah and Ryan have been trying to become parents for over ten years. They have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility. Sarah said it well in her application letter, “Unexplained infertility is such a clinical term for a journey that has been long and filled with grief.” They underwent nine IUI cycles and one IVF cycle. Sarah and Ryan both work in the field of education. Sarah said, “Doing what we do, we see so many of our students, our “kids” come from broken homes. From families who didn’t want their children and aren’t afraid to tell them that. Years and years of students that we ache to take home and give them the love and care that they deserve and yet, our legal system is not set up to support this.” Their longing to give a good life to a child of their own is what made us want to give them hope to try IVF again.
Jiaen and Steve - Virginia Beach, VA (2020)
Steve and Jiaen began trying to have children in the spring of 2016. They began fertility testing in China, where they lived at the time. After several blood and hormone tests, ultrasounds and a hysterosalpingogram, Jiaen became pregnant in May of 2017, but unfortunately miscarried. They continued testing and ultimately had three unsuccessful IUIs—two in Asia and one after relocating to the US. Since September 2019, they have been trying again and tests have been repeated—with no clear cause for infertility. IVF is their next option. They work in helping build bridges between different cultures, and with several major transitions in recent years, money can be tight when it comes to fertility treatment costs. We hope that with this grant they will be able to start the family for which they have been hoping!
Bobbi and Cort Whitney - Winnett, MT (2020)
After being married, Bobbi and Cort tried to have children for over two years before being referred to an infertility specialist. Once they arrived at their first infertility appointment, they discovered they were four weeks pregnant for the first time! Three months into the pregnancy they learned that the baby was diagnosed with PAIVS (Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum), a congenital heart defect. At a checkup when Bobbi was six months pregnant, they could not hear a heartbeat. On March 17, 2017, their baby, Clancy James Whitney, was stillborn. Bobbi had an emergency D&C nine days postpartum for retained placenta. She underwent a hysteroscopy surgery to repair scarring of her uterine lining. After healing, they started infertility treatments. They tried IUI with no luck and were told that IVF was their next option. Bobbi and Cort started planning financially and trying to conceive on their own for the next 20 months. They were able to have a successful IVF treatment with five healthy embryos. In March they were able to do a frozen transfer and are currently pregnant!
Natalie and Brian Theurer - Smithfield, NC (2020)
Natalie and Brian have been trying to grow their family for the past for four years. They both are caring people that give back to their community. Natalie works as an Occupational Therapist while Brian is a Minister of Youth and Education. After discovering they had male factor infertility, they underwent one failed IVF as well as two miscarriages. While working with a fertility center, they discovered that the best chance for a successful pregnancy would be through embryo adoption. They are excited to start this path and look forward to being able to share with their future child the uniqueness of how they came to be part of their family.
Adrienne and Jeremy Justus - Fort Collins, CO (2020)
Adrienne and Jeremy Justus are the proud parents of a beautiful three-year-old daughter that they were able to welcome to their family through IVF. Adrienne is a contractor while Jeremy is a project manager. They have been married for ten years and Adrienne is a breast cancer survivor. Before starting chemo, they were able to retrieve eggs and save them for a later date when Adrienne would be healthy. After an unsuccessful IVF and then the successful IVF that brought them their daughter, they tried for another 24 months with no luck. They were put in touch with the Snowflake Embryo Adoption program and are working with them to find the right embryo to adopt and transfer. They are looking forward to adding another little one to their family and can’t wait to see their daughter be a big sister.
Emily and David Hogg - Pleasant Grove, UT (2020)
Emily and David Hogg have been trying to build their family for over seven years. Emily puts her creative skills to work growing a quilting business called Quilt 101 that sells kits and tutorials to help any level quilter. David is an IT Specialist. In 2013, Emily was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had her thyroid removed. Along their journey to become parents, they’ve found issues with Hashimotos, PCOS, adenomyosis, and male factor infertility. They have struggled through 8 IUIs, an IVF cycle, and a devastating miscarriage. Emily and David have been very open with their journey and have shared the ups and downs of the process on social media; it has been very beneficial for others to understand the rollercoaster infertility can be. They are now looking forward to an IVF cycle in the fall and are hopeful this will result in the baby for which they have so patiently waited.
Bethany and Derek King - Lexington, KY (2020)
Bethany and Derek King lived in Scotland for 16 months before returning to Lexington, KY to be closer to family while Derek pursues his PH.D in Theology. Bethany is currently an administrative assistant at a campus ministry where Derek also works part time. After struggling through some medical issues and receiving information from Bethany’s twin that she has PCOS, the Kings knew that having children could be tricky. They have tried many different fertility treatments that have not been successful and have decided to pursue embryo adoption.
Brittany and Christopher - Virginia (2020)
When Chris and Brittany were married, they knew that having children naturally would probably not happen. They pursued domestic adoption and were matched to a birthmother, however, they were heartbroken when the adoption failed. A fertility clinic was able to introduce them to the Snowflake program of embryo adoption in 2015. They were able to transfer two embryos and conceive their three-year-old daughter! Currently Brittany is a stay-at-home mom and Chris is an Attorney Adviser. Brittany and Chris are looking to complete another cycle with the Snowflake program to add to their family.
S. and C. Wilson - Houston, TX (2020)
The Wilsons have dedicated their lives to helping others with careers as public servants. After trying to start their family for eight years, they have been through four IVF cycles—the last one ending in a heartbreaking miscarriage. They have been through so much, including several procedures to remove fibroids, and have taken over 200 lab tests. They are now looking forward to their fifth IVF cycle and are hopeful they will finally beat infertility.
Tierra and Shamir Bobo - North Carolina (2020)
A couple months after getting married, Tierra and Shamir found out that Tierra had stage 4 endometriosis. Their painful infertility journey began with a couple surgeries to remove the endometriosis. In the last three years they have gone through three IVF cycles—the last one ending in a devastating ectopic pregnancy at six weeks. Tierra and Shamir have climbed many mountains to get where they are today. Tierra and Shamir both work at The University of North Carolina; Tierra is a Post Doc Research Associate and Shamir is a Grant Research Coordinator. Tierra said it best, “My journey to motherhood, like so many, have been both physically and emotionally painful, confusing and yet beautiful. These past three years have been cycles of despair and hope, but through it all I was able to rebuild to become the strongest and most grateful person I can be.” We are hopeful that they will receive their miracle baby in this next IVF cycle.
Nicole and Julian - Harrisburg, PA (2020)
Nicole and Julian are pillars of love and compassion for the youth and children of their community. They have dedicated their lives to serving those around them and have wanted nothing more than to start having children of their own. Nicole has struggled with severe endometriosis for most of her life, which has left her in great pain, but Julian is always by her side caring for her. After years of surgeries, removal of both fallopian tubes and an ovary, they were finally able to find a doctor that could get a treatment plan in place. Excited to start the IVF process, they are grateful to have found the right people to help them move forward. They shared the wisdom that, “The pain you have been feeling is nothing compared to the joy that is coming”.
Jodi and Christopher Brink - Milwaukee, WI (2020)
Jodi and Christopher went through many trials to find each other, and once they did it was meant to be! Jodi was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma and, after fighting it, is ready to become a mom. Christopher is a Technical Specialist. Before going through chemo and radiation, they were able to freeze eggs and have been waiting for the right moment to use them. They have been working toward using the embryos for two years and are excited to try this embryo transfer to become parents.
Anna and Jason Wilson - Travis Air Force Base, CA (2019)
Anna and Jason Wilson have been trying to have a baby for over 10 years now. Anna has been diagnosed with endometriosis and Jason has some unexplained infertility factor as well. They have always wanted children, but as a military family they have not always had access to fertility specialists. Anna and Jason have recently returned to the United States after living in Okinawa, Japan for seven years. They attempted to adopt in Japan but were unsuccessful. For a long time, they haven’t had a lot of hope. However, now that they live close to a fertility center, they are jumping at the chance to begin an IVF cycle so they can grow their family.
Sharlee and Colten Smith - Garland, UT (2019)
Sharlee and Colten Smith spent the first three years of their marriage trying to find an answer to their infertility. Sharlee was diagnosed with PCOS and after doing explorative surgery only to find multiple polyps, cysts covering her uterus, and a non-functioning fallopian tube, things could have seemed pretty hopeless. However, with the help of a great doctor, the couple began the IVF process. After a harrowing pregnancy with multiple complications, their son was born. They are excited to try an FET and potentially add a sibling for their son.
Amy and Kolby Rollins - Lyman, WY (2019)
While preparing to have a second child, Amy and Kolby Rollins were given the frustrating diagnosis of unexplained secondary infertility. They tried three IUI’s and then felt like IVF was their answer. Their IVF journey began, and they were so excited when they found out Amy was expecting. However, at their first ultrasound appointment at six weeks the couple discovered that Amy was experiencing an ectopic pregnancy. Their hearts were broken as they explained to their five-year-old son that there was no longer a baby in mommy’s tummy. Amy and Kolby are looking to do an FET (frozen embryo transfer) to try and add to their family.
Sarah and Adam Freeman - Brewer, ME (2019)
Sarah and Adam Freeman have been trying to build their family for nine years. Sarah is a teacher and Adam is a letter carrier with United States Postal Service. They went through an extensive diagnostic process before undergoing 5 IUI (intrauterine insemination) cycles and 2 IVF (invitro fertilization) cycles. They were ecstatic to find out Sarah was pregnant after their second IVF, but devastatingly, Sarah suffered a miscarriage early on in the pregnancy. Despite all the emotions, disappointment and heartache, they have both remained positive and expectant for their chance to become parents. Sarah and Adam are hoping for a chance to be able to hold their baby for the first time, rocking him/her to sleep each night, and watching their baby grow.
Chenoa and Tim Harrington - Missoula, MT (2019)
Chenoa and Tim Harrington have dedicated their lives to helping others. Chenoa works in the education consulting business where she focuses on helping college students navigate the loan process, and Tim is a K9 handler with the Missoula Police Department. They have been dealing with infertility for six years. They have done five unsuccessful IUI’s and plan to try IVF next. Chenoa and Tim claim that The Beatles got one thing indisputably right: life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. They certainly didn’t anticipate struggling with fertility in their attempts to build a family, but they would both adamantly argue that the process has brought them closer together and strengthened their love for one another.
Sheila and Matt Long - Salt Lake City, UT (2019)
Sheila and Matt Long have been through a lot in just a few short years. Sheila was pregnant with their first baby in 2017. However, at her 20 week ultrasound their sweet baby girl was diagnosed with anencephaly—a fatal defect in which the baby's skull and brain never form. They were devastated and pained with grief. During the removal of her baby, Sheila’s cervix was cut, and she lost a lot of blood. Doctors ultimately performed a hysterectomy and she lost the ability to carry their future children. Sheila and Matt have used this time to grow closer together, work intentionally and tirelessly to heal, and move forward in other forms of family planning. They are now pursuing IVF with a gestational surrogate.
Jennifer Marianni and Marissa Marchese - Philadelphia, PA (2019)
In two years, Jenn and Marissa did 6 IUI’s, 2 egg retrievals, 3 frozen embryo transfers to finally get pregnant—but they still had a rough fight ahead. Jenn had some complications early on in the pregnancy, but it all came to a head when her water broke at 20 weeks pregnant. They were sent home and Jenn was on strict bedrest where they worked hard to give their daughter a fighting chance. Jenn was admitted to the hospital at 23 weeks and stayed there until giving birth at 29 weeks. Their little Isabella was born very sick. She fought hard for her Moms, but only lived six days. Isabella changed Jenn and Marissa’s lives forever, and she will always be in their hearts. They are ready for a rainbow baby to be added to their family.
Amanda and Andrew Ott - Cedar Falls, IA (2019)
Amanda and Andrew Ott have been trying to find an answer to their fertility problems for 10 years, three surgeries, countless clomid pills, and a few IUI’s. After removing a massive fibroid that was blocking the entire cavity of her uterus, things were looking up. However, after another IUI, Amanda was still not pregnant. A few years passed where they kept trying but the negative pregnancy tests were adding up. Amanda had another fibroid removed early this year, and now they look forward to starting the IVF process and are hopeful they’ll finally beat infertility.
The Souza's - Massachusetts (2018)
Our struggles with infertility is just a part of our story but it will not be the end. We are incredibly grateful to The Hope for Fertility Foundation for giving us the hope and dreams of allowing us another chance to become amazing parents.
The Witte's - Washington (2018)
We both feel incredibly grateful to be awarded a grant from The Hope for Fertility Foundation. Without their help we really don't know how we would have overcome the financial burden of IVF. When we met and fell in love the word "infertility" never crossed our minds. But as the months turned into years, our dream of having a baby turned into an emotional nightmare. Although we still have a way to go with our journey, we are optimistic that our time to be parents is on the horizon. Words cannot completely express how much we appreciate The Hope for Fertility Foundation and the hope they give to so many couples like us. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and baby dust wishes to all the couples who are battling infertility!
The Giorgianni's - Virginia (2017)
From the very first moment we made contact with Hope for Fertility Foundation, we were treated with such respect, consideration and compassion. The process was absolutely wonderful from beginning to end! This foundation is such an remarkable gift to couples like us who have a dream and are praying for a way to fulfill it. When we found out we were awarded a grant, we were overwhelmed and just couldn't believe that there were strangers out there that cared about us and helping us grow our family! There are no words to explain how thankful we are for this grant and for this foundation and all those individuals associated with making it possible! Thank you to [everyone at] the Hope of Fertility Foundation for being such an incredible blessing to our family!
The Redd's - Utah (2017)
Infertility is so prevalent, and the cost for fertility treatments are so prohibitively expensive, and this community needs the aid and awareness that this Foundation is providing. The members of this organization have put so much time and energy into establishing this Foundation and raising funds in order to help people like us... [W]e will forever be grateful to every person who has been involved in The Hope for Fertility Foundation for their generosity.