Campaign Story

My name is Christina, and I have endometriosis, commonly referred to as endo for those who may not know. Endo is a common health condition in women where tissues grow outside the uterus, causing pain and often infertility. Endo affects more than 11% of American women between 15 and 44. My partner, Ben, and I have tried to get pregnant for the last three years; however, endo has made that journey a dead end. Earlier this spring, we made the decision that we would pursue IVF in order to have a child, originally planning to do it during summer 2023 or 2024 to give ourselves time to save for this expensive procedure. (One cycle of IVF costs approximately $25,000; many couples require between 3-6 cycles in order to have a child.) Unfortunately, an ovarian cyst that I had removed in July 2021 has since grown back to be about the size of an avocado. Not wanting to risk potentially damaging my ovary, my doctors have recommended that Ben and I fast forward our pursuit of IVF in order to ensure that we have the best opportunity to retrieve healthy eggs in hopes of fertilizing them for future transfer; once we have completed the retrieval and fertilization, we plan to freeze the viable embryos, so I can have surgery to address the pain and discomfort I’ve been living with and ensure that my body can be a welcoming home to grow our future child.

We are optimistic about our pathway forward, though overwhelmed by the cost of treatment, which sadly is not covered by insurance in the state of Michigan. We are asking you to help us on this new path by donating to our fundraiser. We are seeking assistance with the financial burden of IVF. Even $5 would mean the world to us–and to our future child!