Campaign Story

We are Brandy and Scott Lepold. We began trying to grow our family shortly after our wedding in 2018. A year of negative pregnancy tests led us to our first fertility clinic. Monthly, weekly, often daily clinic visits since, numerous assisted reproductive procedures, 3 egg retrievals, 3 IVF transfers, a miscarriage, two surgeries, two fertility clinics, 7 fertility doctors, one diagnosis requiring a gestational carrier (surrogate) and over 5 years later, we find ourselves here today – feeling hopeful as we pursue surrogacy in order to fulfill our greatest hope!

Approximately 3 years into our IVF journey, an MRI confirmed that Brandy has a rare congenital uterine malformation. It’s called a non-communicating unicornuate uterus. What that means is her uterus is approximately 60% of the size of the norm, and her one fallopian tube/ovary was not connected to the uterus. This explained the debilitating pain she had been experiencing with each cycle. She was referred to a surgeon, and a hysteroscopy was performed where one fallopian tube and a portion of her uterus was removed. Surrogacy became the way forward.

Beyond the emotional strain, there’s no getting around it, IVF and surrogacy are financially taxing to say the least. We have worked hard and made many sacrifices in order to afford our dream of being parents. Thus far, we have spent approximately $125, 000, which includes the beginning process of our surrogacy journey. We are incredibly grateful to now be working with an amazing Surrogacy Agency, Canadian Fertility Consulting, who has connected us with our gestational carrier, for whom we are indescribably grateful and blessed.

The remainder of the surrogacy journey will cost an additional $40 – $60,000+. We have also exhausted government funding as well as employment benefits. We are incredibly lucky to have great jobs and have the privilege and income to support the option of surrogacy. For this we are truly grateful. With that said, the past 5 years have been tremendously stressful on multiple fronts, and we would be so grateful if we could minimize the financial stress. If you wish to further support our journey, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

If you are interested in learning more or would like to follow our journey, please visit our website/blog – https://brandylepold.wixsite.com/hope