Campaign Story

Hi everyone! My name is Cynthia! In 2017 a week before my husband and I’s wedding I went to the emergency room with a very sharp pain on the right side of my lower abdomen.

After several test it was determined that I had a mass on my right ovary. I recall being scared but also relieved because my nurse let me know that it wasn’t something that I had to worry about.

Little did I know that this hospital visit would completely change my life.

The mass was not harming my ovary so my surgery had to be scheduled as opposed to an emergency surgery.

From January 2018 until the date of my surgery I had an appointment at least once per week. I remember in one of my appointments the word CANCER was brought up.

There was a specific day that I remember going to get an MRI and all the ladies in the waiting room with cancer patients and that is when I just realize that this could be my new reality. After that appointment I got into the car with my mom, she used to take me to all of my appointments, and I just remember crying. For the first time I was actually terrified of what was to come and all the uncertainty that surrounded me. My doctor told me that they would not be able to tell if it was cancer or not until the mass was removed and taken to the pathologist for further testing.

My surgery took place on March 9th. I remember waking up from the anesthesia and asking my doctor, “Do I have cancer?”

She said no everything looks great. I was so happy and relieved in that moment and I know that my whole family would be as well. Fast forward two weeks for my postop appointment I received the news that turned my world upside down. After my mass was taken to the pathologist it was determined that I had cancer. The mass had 4% of cancer in it and because of that I was to do three cycles of chemotherapy. My first cycle of chemotherapy started April 30th and I finished on June 18th, my husband’s birthday. That was probably has best birthday gift ever.

I was told by my doctors that I would have an 80% chance of getting pregnant after all that my body went through, the surgery and the chemotherapy. The only thing they let me know is that I could not get pregnant until after a year has passed since my last chemotherapy. Me and my husband waited to try and get pregnant for almost 2 years. We were just not ready at that time and it doesn’t feel right.

My husband and I officially started to try and conceive on October 2020. I never knew how hard it was to get pregnant until we actually started to try and get pregnant. We bought ovulation kits, we did fertilization diets, we basically tried anything to get her bodies ready to get pregnant. After six months of trying and not being successful I decided to make an appointment with a fertility specialist. Due to my medical history I was told that if I was not pregnant after six months I should start taking tests needed to determine whether I was fertile or not. So on May 25, 2021 is when I was told that unfortunately because of my surgery and the chemotherapy that I received there was tissue that was scarred and blocked my only fallopian tube left and I would not be able to conceive naturally. This was devastating used I remember crying I remember feeling devastated but at the same time I was happy that I knew what was wrong and that I knew that there was a solution.

When I got home that day I immediately started to do research on IVF on doctors and I just came to realize how expensive it is and the burden that it creates in your marriage.

I never thought that I would be in the situation. I never thought that I would be feeling this type away especially during the holidays I remember reading about this stuff and now I’m living through it and it’s just a feeling that you cannot explain. I turned 30 this past November and I remember my sister asking what I wanted for my birthday and I jokingly said I want a baby but deep down inside that is all that I want and I wish that a Christmas miracle would happen. I hope that my story touches anyone who reads it and you are able to help us and make this wish of ours come true.

I feel very fortunate to even have this opportunity to create a fundraiser for myself. So thank you gift of parenthood for creating this platform for families that are struggling to create a family and be complete.