Campaign Story

My wife and I are fundraising to start our family through IVF, a journey that has been financially out of reach for us. She is a dedicated vice principal at a charter school, passionate about shaping young minds, while I work in HR for a healthcare company, driven by my love for helping others. I’ve battled PCOS for years, and the cost of IVF always made it feel impossible to start a family. About 15 months ago, we were given what we thought was a beautiful opportunity to adopt my 10-year-old cousin. My grandmother, who was raising him, asked us to step in when she became ill. We were overjoyed, not just at the chance to become parents, but to finally have family close to us. Unfortunately, we later realized that we were being used as a financial resource, and my grandmother never truly intended for us to adopt him. It was heartbreaking, especially as someone who has struggled to gain acceptance from my family as a Mexican, Catholic, Lesbian woman. Many of my relatives, including my father, no longer speak to me because of who I am. I’m proud of who I am and I refuse to shrink myself to be accepted, as painful as that is some days. But through deep reflection and healing, I’ve come to embrace the family my wife and I are building with those who love and support us. We know the world can be a difficult place, but we want to raise children who are kind, open-hearted, and accepting. We appreciate any support in helping us make our dream of starting a family a reality.