Campaign Story

Hello, my name is Meghan Cowger, and I’m from Seward, Nebraska. After years of searching for the right person, I met Dan online in January 2021. I feel incredibly lucky to have found someone with such strong values, a passion for music and cooking, and, most importantly, a shared dream of starting a family. In February 2024, we were married and immediately began planning to grow our family.

We knew from the start that our fertility journey might be challenging. I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2017, and at 35 years old, I understood that time might not be on our side. After six months of trying on our own, we were referred to a fertility specialist. I underwent multiple ultrasounds, blood tests, and rounds of fertility medications. While we were able to find a medication that helped me ovulate, we later discovered that Dan was also facing infertility challenges.

Following a surgical procedure, doctors successfully retrieved sperm, but due to the nature of our situation, in vitro fertilization (IVF) became our only path to conception.

Since then, we successfully removed a polyp from my uterus and then underwent a round of stimulation injection medications. In April, we did an egg retrieval, at which we received 28 eggs! We were so grateful and so full of hope! However, as anyone who has been through this journey knows, that number can dwindle day by day with each stage of fertilization and embryo development. 28 eggs retrieved, but 20 eggs were mature. 11 eggs successfully fertilized, but only 2 made it to the blastocyst stage (where embryologists can actually see the cells that will form the placenta). And then we had PGT-A genetic testing to make sure that our remaining 2 embryos were chromosomally “normal.” One was a normal euploid; the second was a low level mosaic, meaning a small percentage of the cells biopsied showed a monosomy of Chromosome 15. It could result in a normal, healthy baby, but we would need to undergo genetic counseling to further understand the risks involved.

We moved forward with our first transfer on June 17th, 2025. It was an exciting and emotional day. On June 25th, I had my first beta HCG blood test, and we found out that I was pregnant! The embryo stuck!! However, we were told to be cautiously optimistic, as our HCG numbers were a little low. I have been very careful not to buy baby things, but I did surprise Dan with a onesie that said, “Daddy’s Coffee Date.” Two days later, I had my second beta HCG blood test. The number halved. This pregnancy would end in a very early miscarriage, called a chemical pregnancy. 

Perhaps, the hardest part about a miscarriage like this is that it hardly feels justified to even grieve. I only knew I was pregnant for two days. And then on top of it, you know you’re losing your baby before your body has even caught up to tell you. So you lose the baby twice: when you get your blood test and then when your body actually finally miscarries.

From there, our doctor suggested to test for silent endometriosis just in case that may be a factor. After a biopsy and a long wait, sure enough, I have endometriosis. Treatment involved getting injections for 2 months, which suppressed my hormones and, essentially, put me into menopause. This allowed the endometriosis some time to calm down and then go straight into the next transfer.

On December 16th, 2025, we transferred our second and final embryo, our low level mosaic. Unfortunately, this embryo did not stick. Our transfer failed. We found out that I was not pregnant on Christmas Eve.

In our first egg retrieval and two transfers, we were able to cover costs using our own funds and a loan. Nothing is covered by our insurance. Beyond the procedures themselves, our costs include medications, monitoring, ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), and genetic testing. These steps have been deemed essential due to our medical histories, circumstances, and age in order to ensure the best chance for a healthy, viable embryo. This first round of egg retrieval and two transfers cost us nearly $23,000. The medications were nearly $7,000.

This process has been much more challenging than we ever anticipated, and fundraising for this journey is something we never imagined we’d need to do. However, we have one vial of sperm left, and we would like to try again. After much reflection, we realized that we’ll never know what’s possible unless we ask for help. With open hearts, we humbly reach out to our friends and family, hoping you’ll consider walking alongside us on this path to parenthood.

Thank you for your love, support, prayers, and all the “baby dust” you can send our way.