Campaign Story

My name is Isabella, but I go by Bella! I’m more than my disease so let’s get to know me a little before I tell you why IVF! I’m 23 years old and have been with my BF Branden for 6 years, highschool sweethearts! I played basketball until I was 21 and now I’m in Nursing school and Branden just passed his NCLEX!! I have a weird baby yoda (grogu) obsession and apparently I am starting to turn into a Disney adult, don’t know how that happened! I like to work out, watch TV and EAT! I love my family and friends. If you asked me what I’d want to be when I grew up I’d say a mother.
At 18 years old my mom was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease. A neurodegenerative disease described as a combination of ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Doesn’t sound fun huh? The symptoms typically appear within the ages of 30-50 and it gives you 10-15 years of deteriorating before you pass away. With my mom being diagnosed that opened the flood gates to me having the same diagnosis. At 19 I was also diagnosed with Huntingtons Disease. I knew immediately that I wouldn’t be able to even attempt to have kids “naturally” because HD is genetically passed down at a 50/50 rate and I wasn’t going to take that chance with my children. My mom ended up passing away when I was 20 and she was 44. It wasn’t directly related to the HD, but HD and the diagnosis had its role in taking her life.
For a couple years, I lost hope in life. I didn’t care what happened to me, I didn’t care for my future because I thought I had no future. I went through a LONG journey of reflection and realization that I am the master of my journey regardless of this diagnosis I have. So I regained hope, and a large part of that hope involves BABIES! I love babies with all my heart. I’ve had a baby to take care of in my family since I was 5 years old and I LOVE every second. My nephew was recently born and it solidified my baby fever! I’m reaching an age in my life where I’m starting to stress about the disease and my timeline to have children who will remember their mom not as someone with a disease, but someone who was able to go out and play basketball with them. Someone who could help them with their schooling and someone who was weird and quirky and someone who was their mother and not a stranger with a disease.
We have to do PGT-IVF (Pre genetic testing -IVF) and that’s about $30,000 and we definitely don’t have that type of cash lying around. We do work, so of course we will be saving up ourselves but any help and contribution to our journey would be appreciated beyond what words could measure !