Campaign Story

We are Ben and Jennifer (Jen) Porter, and we are coming to you today to ask for your assistance in making our dreams a reality.

Ben and I were married on October 3, 2020. Since then, we have tried to conceive in hopes of adding to our family. Currently, we have two fur baby dogs, Parker (13) and Bear (7). As much as we love them, we still feel something is missing. That something is the pitter-patter of little human feet.

After a year and a half of trying to add to our family with no success, we decided to ask for help. In July of 2022, we returned to an old friend of mine at Oregon Health Science University (OHSU), Dr. David Lee. Dr. Lee is a Fertility and Reproductive Endocrinology Specialist.

The first thing Dr. Lee did was give us a rather long “to-do” list that we needed to complete before we could move forward with any type of fertility treatment. This list included everything from a consultation with Maternal Fetal Medicine, Perinatal, and Genetics to 15+ blood tests, a Semen Analysis, and a Hysterosalpingogram (HSG). Each task created more appointments, blood tests, and to-dos. Before we knew it, we felt like we had given more blood than we could ever have imagined needing and had met with more doctors than we knew was possible.

Once our to-dos were completed, we met with Dr. Lee to discuss the findings of our tests. As it turns out, I have PCOS (Polycystic Overy Syndrome). PCOS affects between 6% to 12% of women of childbearing age. PCOS is a condition that, among other things, can cause infertility; however, with treatment, it is still possible to get pregnant.

In February of 2023, Ben and I started our fertility journey with our first of four IUI’s. After completing four IUI’s without any success, Dr. Lee decided it was time to step up our game and start working toward IVF. Working towards IVF meant another round of blood tests, meetings with doctors in other departments, and a financial counselor. After completing our pre-IVF appointments, Dr. Lee tailored a medical protocol for me, which included three different injectable medications. These medications were to be injected at various times, morning and evening, for approximately 14 days. During this time, we took regular trips to Portland every other day for scans to see how many follicles we had and how things were progressing. For those who don’t know, the idea behind IVF is to create (with the use of hormone medications) as many follicles as possible. Each Follicle should produce an egg, which will be retrieved at the end of the cycle.

On average, between ten and twenty eggs are retrieved during an IVF egg retrieval procedure. At the end of our first round of IVF, one egg had been retrieved. As it turned out, my body had decided to pass my eggs the day before my retrieval procedure. I tried to stay positive because we were able to get an egg. Fortunately, it was viable and fertilized. However, we lost the egg on day 4 of fertilization.

Feeling heartbroken and hopeful all at the same time, we decided to try another round of IVF. Dr. Lee tweaked my medical protocol, and we were off to the races again. At the end of this round, we successfully had 12 eggs retrieved. Nine of the 12 eggs were mature and put into fertilization. Six of the nine were successfully fertilized. Of the six fertilized, two reached the blastocyst stage, but only one survived. We had finally made it further than we had before. I knew in my heart that this lone embryo would be our chance of getting pregnant; he would be our fighter.

Our little nugget was put into cryopreservation and sent off for PGT-A testing. PGT-A testing is Preimplantation Genetic Testing for Aneuploidy, a fancy medical term for testing the number of chromosomes. PGT-A testing can determine the gender of your baby as well as which embryos are more or less likely to result in miscarriage. Sadly, our little nugget had three chromosomal abnormalities and was sure to end in miscarriage. As a result, the embryo was not usable, and we were once again left heartbroken and confused.

Unfortunately, in December of 2023, Dr. Lee informed me that I would never have a biological child. My chances of producing an egg without chromosomal abnormalities are less than 5%. And the chances of getting pregnant using my own eggs are less than 10%. As much as we want a child with both of our DNA, we are not willing to take a chance with the 95% possibility of having a child with chromosomal abnormalities, which would lead to a severe disability.

We have spent the past few months trying to decide which direction we want to go. We have researched international adoption, domestic adoption, embryo adoption, and the use of an egg donor. All these alternatives are costly. The average cost of international adoption is between $20,000 and $40,000. The average cost of domestic adoption is between $20,000 and $45,000. The average cost of embryo adoption is between $18,000 and $20,000, excluding the cost of IVF. The average cost of donor eggs is between $14,000 and $20,000, excluding the cost of IVF. If you are wondering, the average cost of IVF is $12,500 per cycle, plus approximately $10,000 in medications.

Aside from the expense associated with our options, adoption (international, domestic, or embryo) can take anywhere from nine months to five years, and adoption of an infant can take upwards of seven years. With this knowledge and the fact that I still want to experience all of being a mother, including pregnancy, we have decided to use an egg donor. When using an egg donor, our chances of getting pregnant go from 10% to 65-70%.

Ben and I come to you today to humbly ask for your support in building our family. Using an egg donor will cost upwards of $18,000, not including the IVF expenses for fertilizing and implanting our embryo(s). Unfortunately, our insurance does not cover the use of an egg donor, so we will have to bear the entire expense.

If you can donate to our cause, we appreciate it beyond any form of thanks we could ever return. Your donation will assist in paying for the donor eggs and any necessary IVF and PGT-A testing expenses incurred. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for assisting in making our dream a possibility. Your donation does not go unnoticed and is not taken lightly. Because of you, our dream of having a child can become a reality. Any leftover funds (if there are any) will be donated to another family going through similar fertility and financial burdens.

Sincerely,
Ben & Jennifer Porter