Campaign Story

My name is Kylie and my husband and I are currently on our fertility journey. We have been together for almost 8 years now, and have been so excited to start a family together. We got married over a year ago, and the journey to becoming a family has been far from simple. We both work in education, my husband is a PE teacher for high school students, and I am a Speech Therapist working with Multiple Disabilities, Life Skills, and Autistic Support children. We work and care for kids every single day, so after getting married, you could imagine the excitement we had to start our own family. It wasn’t until after trying for over a year and a half, and 3 miscarriages that we discovered that I am a Premutation Carrier for Fragile X. This is something that many people may not be familiar with, but if you are a pediatric speech therapist like myself you are more familiar. Fragile X is a chromosomal abnormality that presents symptoms such as Intellectual Disabilities, Fine and Gross Motor Delays, and other symptoms closely related to Autism. As far as having a child with Fragile X, that is not something we are concerned about as we will love our child no matter what. The impact of being a Premutation Carrier of Fragile X is that I am at high risk for Early Menopause. Therefore, our timeline in terms of conception is smaller than others. I am currently 28 years old, and my levels are starting to drop, which means we are running out of time. Therefore, after talking with our medical team our best option is to go through IVF (in Vitro Fertilization). This will allow us to collect as many eggs as possible before I go through Early Menopause. If we can collect these eggs, we can then use them in the future even if I do go through Early Menopause.

Unfortunately, neither mine nor my husband’s insurance covers IVF ($25000). Therefore, we are starting this fundraiser to assist with some of the cost. I feel for all of the families going through this experience because it’s not something you think you will be a part of until it happens. My husband Daniel and I are grateful for our community, friends, and family who have been such a loving support system through this process. We are hopeful for the future, and the future of our family at this time of uncertainty.

Much Love,

Dan and Ky