Campaign Story

Dear Supporters,

It took me until the age of 38 to meet the love of my life, Ronnie. Before then, my journey through love was not easy, but I always respected myself enough not to settle. Even though I longed deeply to become a mother, I knew I wanted to wait until the circumstances were right. Being a mom has been my greatest dream for as long as I can remember.

In 2018, I became pregnant unexpectedly at 37. Though the father chose not to be involved, I was overjoyed knowing I would finally become a mother. Tragically, at my 8-week ultrasound, doctors discovered an ectopic pregnancy—the largest they had seen—that required immediate surgery. That day, I lost my baby, a fallopian tube, and a piece of my heart.

At 38, started dating Ronnie, an acquaintance I knew since 2017 and our love happened unintentionally and naturally. and on September 29, 2021, he proposed. We married on November 11, 2022. Ronnie is a devoted father to his son, Story, whom I have had the privilege of helping raise as his primary mother figure (as we have full custody) since he was 9. Story has brought so much joy into my life, and we share a very special bond. But Ronnie and I have always dreamed of having a child together.

Because Ronnie had a vasectomy many years ago (due to alcoholism and abuse from his ex-wife) and I have only one fallopian tube, our doctors advised us that IVF would be our best chance. In early 2022, Ronnie underwent sperm extraction, and I began egg retrieval. We retrieved 13 eggs, 11 fertilized, and only one embryo was viable. That one embryo is our hope, and we lovingly call him Lucca.

We were preparing for implantation in June 2023 when, two months prior, I was diagnosed with HER2 Triple Positive Breast Cancer. Our world was shaken. The funds we had saved for the remainder of IVF went toward cancer treatments, surgeries, and recovery.

By grace, I was able to join a clinical trial that spared me chemotherapy and radiation, though I endured eight surgeries and over two years of treatment. Now, with both my oncologist and fertility doctor in agreement, I have been given the green light to pause treatment to attempt implantation.

This journey has been filled with heartbreak, but also with hope. I carry with me the spirit of the child I lost, and I feel him near me every day. I believe with all my heart that Lucca is meant to join our family. I dream of the day I can hold him, share adventures with him, and teach him to love himself fully. Story, now 15, has always wanted to be a big brother and would embrace that role with love.

While Ronnie and I manage our daily expenses with our issue, the financial strain from cancer has left us unable to fund the final steps of IVF. We are humbly asking for your support to help us move forward with the embryo transfer between January and March of 2026. At 44, time is critical for me, and this may be our last opportunity to bring Lucca into the world.

Your kindness, whether through financial contributions, prayers, or positive thoughts, means more than words can express. By supporting us, you become part of our journey, pouring love and hope into the possibility of new life.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for considering helping us make this dream a reality.

With love and gratitude,

Sumer & Ronnie