Campaign Story

We, Adam and Selina, are high school sweethearts who have been together for 14 years. We have been trying to conceive since 2017, shortly after we got married. Adam is legally blind from birth and may lose his remaining vision in a few years, which makes us even more eager to start a family.

Our journey began with the typical one-year wait to conceive naturally. After that first year, despite using ovulation tests, receiving negative pregnancy tests, and visiting two family planning clinics, we faced disappointment after disappointment.

Our first urologist suggested adoption, which broke our hearts, as we desperately want to be parents. Determined to find help, we sought out a urologist in another city who works closely with CNY Fertility. He advised us to switch to a Keto and Mediterranean diet. Adam needed to also take various hormone medications to produce sperm, as he was diagnosed with azoospermia, a complete absence of sperm. In 2023, after a year with this urologist and multiple medication adjustments, we received hopeful news—Adam was producing enough sperm to undergo a testicular sperm extraction (TESE). This surgical procedure involves removing a small tissue sample from the testicle to retrieve sperm for reproduction.

While we were waiting to schedule the procedure, we began baseline testing for IVF at CNY Fertility for Selina. These baseline tests, which include blood work and ultrasounds, are performed before starting IVF to determine ovarian reserve, pelvic health, and the overall chance of success. We successfully started IVF treatment in February 2023 and felt like we were finally getting answers and moving closer to having a baby. After completing Selina’s baseline testing, our first egg retrieval in May 2023 yielded 20 eggs, 11 of which matured and were frozen.

In July 2023, Adam’s TESE procedure finally arrived. Later that day, we received the devastating news that he could not produce viable sperm and would not be able to have children of his own. This diagnosis of male factor infertility set us back several months as we considered using anonymous donor sperm. Once we found a donor we liked, we purchased the sperm and fertilized Selina’s frozen eggs, successfully creating five embryos.

We then attempted three frozen embryo transfers (FETs), but three embryos did not take, and one resulted in a blighted ovum, leading to a miscarriage in early November 2023. There was nothing we could have done to prevent this.

After taking a break to recover, we attempted one more transfer in early 2024, which unfortunately did not succeed. This prompted us to schedule another egg retrieval using new donor sperm, resulting in 19 eggs—10 mature and 6 fertilized—leaving us with 9 day-5 embryos! We are moving forward towards another FET and are excited for this opportunity.

Due to financial difficulties, we took another break over the summer, but we are eager to move forward with transferring those embryos soon. To help with the mounting costs of IVF, we are launching a fundraising campaign. Our goal is to raise the necessary funds to continue our journey toward parenthood. We hope our story resonates with others who may wish to support us in achieving our dream of becoming parents before time runs out.

If you would like to help, please consider donating or sharing our campaign. Every contribution brings us one step closer to starting our family. Thank you for your support and for investing in the joys and future of our family. ❤️