Campaign Story

My name is Danielle. I’ve struggled with fertility my entire life. I have endured endometriosis since my early twenties, but I wasn’t told the severity of it. I’ve also had to endure uterine fibroids and most recently…blocked fallopian tubes. I successfully had the fibroids removed in 2009, but wasn’t in a marriage to conceive. I married for the first time (in my 40s) on January 1, 2020 and I doubled down on having the fibroid removal (Myomectomy) again December 19, 2022 for medical reasons, but to also preserve the chance to have a baby. Over time (since 2009), the fibroids had aggressively returned, but this time one of the seven fibroids (the largest) grew inside of my uterus, which made the surgery very complicated, dangerous, and required my uterus to be cut open to remove the fibroid tumor. I’m currently still recovering. I have an appointment with a well-respected fertility doctor this month (March) to check my eggs and freeze any that are viable. My husband and I have GREAT jobs and do okay financially and can afford a family…if it was done naturally. The cost of IVF would cause a hardship, so I started looking for ways to assist us in starting a family/having a baby. If the surgery was successful, conceiving naturally would be a miracle, but it comes with a high risk of birth defects. IVF is the best option given my age because we can ensure the embryo is healthy before implantation. My OBGyn gave me a 2-year window to have a baby via IVF before a hysterectomy would be needed. So, to say the clock is ticking is an understatement. The worst feeling is knowing your body will NOT naturally do what it was created to do…and that’s create/produce a life. The absolute worst feeling is being told you have less than 3% to conceive naturally and you only have 2 years to utilize your ONLY option of IVF. ANYTHING helps…especially prayers. Please take a moment to consider donating and if you will share my story with your friends, family, and colleagues…I would be most grateful. Please know how hard it is to ask for help for something like this. Thank you in advance for listening/reading, donating, and sharing.