Campaign Story

Our journey to parenthood has been filled with both deep hope and profound heartbreak. My partner and I, now ages 37 and 43, have spent the last several years navigating one of the most challenging experiences of our lives—infertility. We are applying for this fertility grant because we still hold onto the belief that our family is possible, and we know that in vitro fertilization (IVF) offers our best remaining chance to bring our dream of becoming parents to life.

Our story begins with a shared commitment to service and hard work. In our early years together, my partner served in active duty military while I pursued a demanding career in medicine. These paths required long hours, deployments, and geographic moves that made starting a family impractical in those seasons of life. We made the conscious decision to focus on our careers first, building stability so that when the time came, we could give our future children the love, time, and security they deserve.

When life finally allowed us to turn our attention to building a family, we were filled with excitement and optimism. We assumed, like so many couples do, that when we were ready, it would happen naturally. We were wrong.

Our first major setback came in the most unexpected and devastating way. I experienced a ruptured ectopic pregnancy—an emergency that required surgery and the removal of one of my fallopian tubes. That moment was physically and emotionally shattering. Losing a pregnancy is painful under any circumstances, but to also lose part of my fertility in the process felt like a door to our dreams was suddenly slammed shut. I was grateful to survive such a dangerous medical event, but the grief of that loss lingers even now.

Despite the blow, we were determined not to give up. My remaining fallopian tube was confirmed to be open and functional on HSG imaging, so we pressed forward with hope. We began with timed intercourse, carefully tracking ovulation cycles month after month. When that did not bring success, we moved to ovulation stimulation with timed intercourse, giving us renewed optimism that a little medical support might help nature along. After several cycles without a positive result, we stepped into the world of intrauterine insemination (IUI). We completed two IUI cycles with high hopes each time, supported by encouraging pre-treatment labs and normal genetic testing for both of us. Still, both attempts ended with the same result—no pregnancy.

The emotional toll of infertility is difficult to put into words. Each month begins with anticipation, followed by the crushing disappointment of another negative test. It is a cycle of hope and heartbreak that affects every part of life—emotions, relationships, even self-perception. While the medical aspect is challenging, the emotional and mental burden can be even heavier. My partner and I have had to learn how to lean on each other, how to process grief together, and how to keep believing when it would be so easy to give in to discouragement.

Medically, we are in a strong position to proceed with IVF. All of our pre-testing, hormone levels, and genetic screenings have come back within normal ranges. We have no identifiable medical reason—other than age and my loss of one fallopian tube—that would prevent a healthy pregnancy. Our fertility specialists agree that IVF gives us the highest possible chance of conceiving, particularly given our ages.

The challenge we face now is financial. IVF is an intensive process that comes with significant costs. As many couples in our position discover, these costs are rarely covered by insurance, leaving patients to fund treatment entirely out of pocket. While we have done everything we can to prepare financially, the expense remains a barrier that we cannot overcome alone. This is why we are applying for this fertility grant—because without financial assistance, we will not be able to access the one treatment most likely to help us have a child.

We are not strangers to resilience. We have each dedicated our lives to service—whether in uniform or in healthcare—and we know what it means to work hard, to persevere, and to show up for others even in difficult times. That same determination drives us now. We have not given up after years of trying, after invasive procedures, after losses and disappointments. We continue to believe in the possibility of our family, and we will pursue it as long as there is a path forward.

For us, IVF represents not just a medical procedure, but a doorway back to hope. It is the opportunity to finally move past the endless cycle of “maybe this month” and into a process that gives us the best chance of success. It is the chance to take all the love, patience, and commitment we have carried for years and pour it into the family we have been waiting to start.

We understand that many couples apply for fertility grants, each with their own unique and valid stories. What sets our journey apart is the combination of our medical history, our proven commitment to overcoming challenges, and our readiness to provide a stable, loving home for a child. We are emotionally prepared, medically cleared, and committed to following through with the IVF process immediately if granted this support.

This grant would not just help us financially—it would give us the opportunity to rewrite the ending of our story. Instead of infertility defining our future, it would become a chapter we overcame. Instead of closing the door on parenthood, it would open one wide enough to welcome the child we have dreamed of for years.

We want to raise a child who knows, from their very first moments, that they were deeply wanted. A child who grows up understanding the value of perseverance, the power of love, and the meaning of gratitude. If given this opportunity, our child will one day know that there was a community of people who believed in their life before they were even born, and that their story began with hope, resilience, and generosity.

In closing, I want to thank you for considering our application and for the work you do to support families facing infertility. This journey is not one anyone chooses, but the compassion and resources provided through grants like this make a real difference. They turn what feels like an impossible dream into something tangible and within reach.

We are ready—medically, emotionally, and personally—to move forward with IVF. We have prepared in every way we can, but this final step requires help we cannot access alone. Your support would be the bridge between years of longing and the moment we finally hold our child in our arms.

Thank you for giving us the chance to share our story, for the hope you extend to couples like us, and for considering us for this life-changing opportunity.