Campaign Story

My name is Brittaney. I have been struggling with Endometriosis and Secondary Infertility. It has been a very emotional road these last couple of years trying to conceive and having 2 miscarriages.

I first got pregnant very young at 20 years old.  Had complications with that pregnancy but ultimately delivered a healthy baby girl, she is now 15 yrs old.  Since being with my now husband for the last 6 years, we started trying to conceive with no luck.  I discussed with my OB which followed with lots of bloodwork and hormone testing. 

During this time I had drastically changed my diet, taking all the recommended supplements and herbs, acupuncture, weekly massages for inflammation and to reduce stress…All of the things that were recommended to me for fertility. Nothing was working.  I used, and still use, Inito to track and confirm ovulation.  Every month I was ovulating according to my levels.  Still nothing.  My husband also had a sperm analysis, and that was normal.  After more testing and several transvaginal ultrasounds, it was recommended that I have surgery so that they could go in there and see what was preventing me from getting pregnant.
The procedure confirmed I have endometriosis and my tubes were completely blocked.  During the procedures she removed as much of the endometriosis adhesions and well as got some flow through the left tube after significant time and pressure.  Once I got the ‘all clear’ after surgery, we immediately started trying again.  Finally, I got pregnant in November 2024.  We were so happy!!  To my surprise both of my younger sisters were also pregnant…all of us at the same time!  

We planned to announce our pregnancies to the family at Christmas.  Sadly for me, that didn’t happen.  I had begun to bleed on Dec 6th but was told it could all be normal.  Every week from that point I was having my blood drawn and ultrasounds.  Sometimes twice a week.   I even went to one of those 3D ultrasound places and paid just to see anything, to have any hope.  
The baby wasn’t growing at the expected rate.  But finally I got to see and hear a little heartbeat.  There was hope again.  We learned the heartbeat was weak.  I was told to prepare myself for this pregnancy to end.  Everyday was like a rollercoaster.  I’ve never been so sad or scared.  Christmas came and no one in my family knew what I was going through other than my sisters.  They still went ahead and announced their pregnancies like they planned.  It was Christmas Day, while everyone was so happy and joyous,  I sat there knowing that I was probably never going to meet my baby.

The next day, I had a scheduled ultrasound that I was dreading.  Typically the ultrasound tech wouldn’t give me any information, I would usually have to wait for the Dr. to call with the results.  But this time I looked at her and asked “there is no heartbeat anymore is there?”, and she said “I’m sorry, no.”  I’m grateful that she told me right then and there.  Every day and every minute felt like an eternity, so I just needed to know.  I cried like I never cried before.
Grief hit me hard.  The next several months I was in a lonely, sad place. I was not myself.  I’m still not myself…I am forever changed by this experience. I started seeing a grief counselor weekly and it helped just to talk about it. 

6 months later I was pregnant again.  But something in me felt I wasn’t going to get the ending I wanted.  Sure enough, the HcG did not rise like it should.  Every other day I had my blood drawn for a week.  And then I started to bleed.  The day that one of my sisters went into labor, I was losing another baby.  The timing of it all is cruel.  Like the first time at Christmas and now this.  There are no words to describe how painful it has been.

I am 36 years old, my husband 39. and the desire in me to have another child is not going away.  My husband and I want to have a child together. If IVF is my only chance, then I would like the opportunity to try. The financial part of it is what has prevented us from moving forward. Anything to help lift some of that financial burden will also remove a lot of the emotional toll. We have been through so much already, and would really love to have an opportunity to have a happy ending to this journey.