Campaign Story

Hi! I’m Fraser. My husband Bob and I met in Athens, Georgia and started dating in 2012 while I was in law school. In 2019, we got engaged and moved to Savannah, Georgia. I am a Public Defender here in Savannah. My official title is “Mental Health Advocate” for the county. Over the years, I have done a lot of work in criminal justice reform and accountability courts, which provide rehabilitative treatment instead of harsh sentences and incarceration. My goal is to spread awareness and understanding about mental health and break the stigma that surrounds mental health treatment. In 2023, I was given the Star Award as outstanding defense attorney in the State of Georgia by the Council of Accountability Court Judges. I have dedicated my life and my career to helping others and giving back to my community.

On November 21, 2020, Bob and I got married in a small ceremony (due to the pandemic), but we had our best friends and immediate family with us, and it was the perfect day and a beautiful memory. We also adopted our pound puppy, Penny Lane, in 2020. We were both working from home then, so it was the ideal time to bring a fur child into our lives. In 2022, we decided it was time to expand our family and have a baby. Little did we know, that journey would prove slightly more difficult than anticipated. Due to my age, when I did not get pregnant after six months of tracking my ovulation, I consulted with my OB/GYN who suggested I try the medication Letrozole. When that was not successful, I also tried Clomid. Simultaneously, she referred me to our only local reproductive specialist. The waiting list for an appointment was very long. I began treatment with that specialist in November of 2023. We attempted two rounds of IUI which did not result in pregnancies. Although I do not have PCOS, I frequently develop ovarian cysts. This particular specialist recommended surgery to remove them. Something about that did not feel right to me, so in March of 2024 I sought a second opinion with a physician in Atlanta named Dr. Jennifer Kawwass, who was recommended by a friend. She told me that she was glad I trusted my gut because she did NOT recommend surgery. After further testing, I was diagnosed with Diminished Ovarian Reserve (decreased egg quantity). We attempted two more rounds of medicated IUI because although I had diminished reserve, my cycles remained regular, so Dr. Kawwass was hopeful I could get pregnant. Unfortunately, I did not. Every cycle is a rollercoaster, and we grieved each negative test while still trying to stay positive ourselves. Dr. Kawwass then recommended we pivot to IVF. I have no fertility coverage through my health insurance. Therefore, everything up to this point we had paid out of pocket. We knew that the expense for IVF would be even greater, so we started pulling money from our savings. Several of our wonderful family members also contributed to our “baby fund.”

In November of 2024, we attempted our first round of IVF. With Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR), I only have a small number of antral follicles present at the beginning of each cycle. Whereas someone without DOR may be able to retrieve 10+ eggs, Dr. Kawwass believed we would retrieve two to three. During my treatments, I would stay with my sister in Atlanta so I did not have to drive the four hours back and forth between Savannah and Atlanta for appointments. Our family’s support has meant the world to us throughout this process. I was familiar with the injections because I administered them during my IUI cycles, but the doses for IVF were much higher. Although the shots are no fun, I was very focused on our goal of retrieving the most eggs possible! My husband had to work in Savannah, so he supported me from afar during my appointments and drove through the night to Atlanta for retrieval day. Imagine our surprise and joy when I woke up from the procedure, and the board said 4 eggs retrieved! Out of those four eggs, three were mature, and two fertilized and started growing! On day three, both embryos were still growing. On day five, I received the call that broke our hearts. Neither embryo continued to grow, and therefore they would not be viable for transfer. We got this news on November 20, 2024, the day before our fourth anniversary. Despite our grief, pain, and tears shed, we still knew how lucky we were to have each other for support. On our anniversary, we decided that we would try again.

I was unable to begin another cycle for several months due to ovarian cysts. In March of 2025, I was cleared for another round of IVF after my baseline scan. I pulled more money from our savings account to cover the expense of treatment and medications. Dr. Kawwass decided to increase my medication dosages for this round, so the cost of medication tripled. I once again had four antral follicles at my baseline scan, so I was hopeful that we would retrieve at least four eggs. Everything looked ok for the first 12 days. Toward the end of my ultrasounds, my doctor called to tell me that my lab results had changed. My hormone levels had dropped drastically, and only two follicles appeared to be the appropriate size for a mature egg. She hypothesized a 10% chance of success under the circumstances. We were devastated. We did not think that spending $13,000 on the egg retrieval procedure with such a low chance of success was a good idea. Therefore, we decided to switch to IUI instead and remained hopeful for a positive outcome. Several weeks later, we learned that I was not pregnant.

After my negative pregnancy test in late March, I had a follow up visit with Dr. Kawwass. Since my hormone levels did not respond well to the medication, she believes that my AMH and ovarian reserve is decreasing rapidly, and it will be very difficult to have a successful round of IVF using my eggs moving forward. Under the circumstances, she suggested we consider using donor eggs. That is something I have always been open to because our goal is to be loving and supportive parents, regardless of how our child comes into this world. I just wanted to try everything possible myself first so I would not feel that any stone was left unturned. We have recently chosen a donor from a frozen egg bank and will use IVF for fertilization! Dr. Kawwass does not expect I will have any issues carrying a baby, so that is great news!

I have accepted that my eggs may not be able to make a baby, but I have always known in my heart that I am meant to be a mother. Bob has always supported me, stayed positive, and never given up on our family. He can’t wait to be a dad. We know our baby is waiting until the right moment to join us, and we are so glad to have the option of IVF and donor eggs to assist us in our journey. Any additional funding we are able to receive would mean the world to us and bring us one step closer to our dream of having children of our own!