Campaign Story

Hi there! My name is Maggie and my wonderful husband’s name is Zak. We met in college about twelve years ago and have gone through so many of life’s joys and heartaches in this time. We have always had big dreams, and one of those is expanding our family.

We have been trying to have a baby since our wedding in October of 2020. It has been a difficult journey due to my health. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease as a child, and because of that now live with a permanent ileostomy bag. While this surgery has allowed me the gift of health and long-term remission, it has made it difficult for me to become pregnant.

This past spring we began our fertility journey with a medicated IUI which shockingly worked on the first round. Unfortunately, this pregnancy was ectopic. It led to an emergency surgery to remove my fallopian tube along with my sweet, first pregnancy.

After much consideration and consultation with our clinic, we have decided to move forward with IVF. It is the safest way to become pregnant.

We made this fundraiser because we know financially at this moment, IVF is quite a distance away. Despite insurance covering some of the treatment, there are many costs that aren’t covered or are partially covered.

I am grateful to anyone who considers donating as this gets us one step closer to our dream. As I had with my IUI, I will share the unique experience of IVF with an ostomy on my channel for anyone who may be facing something similar.

Thank you!