Campaign Story

Hi! My name is Allie and I am a 40 year old woman who has primarily focused on my career in the Entertainment Industry since I was a kid. I love what I do, including the ups and downs, but I’ve always wanted a family. I’ve definitely found it challenging to meet the right partner in the big cities where I lived for the career I desired. I also was a nanny for over 20 years to earn a living when jobs were sparse. To compound the challenge of partnership (the RIGHT one anyway!), and constantly surrounded by and mentoring/working with children with my desire to have my own, I had always been told I would have fertility struggles.

From age 12-16 with irregular cycles, to ages 19-23 with a disorder that caused the loss of my cycle altogether, to 26-30 with cysts and a lazy ovary, then partnering with someone for 8 years from the important years of 28-36 who suddenly (and devastatingly) changed their mind about children in the end, I’ve never felt in control over my own fertility; someone or something else dictated my ability to conceive.

Now, at 37 I met and married the most wonderful and supportive man, who already has experienced the joys of parenthood, although admittedly with the wrong partner. We have been married and trying for 2 years before seeking a fertility specialist who informed us that the Propecia, (and subsequently the testosterone that our PCP prescribed to my husband to counteract the low T side-effects of Propecia) were at the root of our trouble causing not only low T but in fact telling his body NOT to make it on it’s own, essentially coming to a zero sperm count!

Now at 40 (me) and 45 (him), we are looking to IVF to increase our chances of pregnancy before it becomes even more challenging for me to conceive/carry. We’ve been assured that it would take another year at least to be able to try to conceive naturally, which may not sound terrible, but when your fertility has been dictated by outside factors and it is on the line, I’m ready to do what I can to take it back!

I’ve cashed out my retirement fund and my parents have generously helped, however my husband and I just started a new business last year and are on the hook for two sets of bills (rent, internet, electric, etc), not to mention a slow economy, particularly in our business.

We are seeking any help at this point. Even $5 would mean so much to us on this somewhat lonely journey. Once we complete this cycle, I intend to bring a higher awareness and conversation surrounding infertility in hopes of creating a wider and supportive community for those going through what we are! Thank you so much for your time and consideration. All our Love, Allie + Adrian