Campaign Story

Our story is a long one, so here we go!! My name is Holly, and my husband is Matt. We have been on a very long and heartbreaking journey together in trying to have a family for 12 years. We got married in 2011 and wanted to start our family young. Unfortunately, we were dealt a really unlucky hand of unfortunate circumstances that has led us to this point. About 3 years after we were married, I found out I had a severe case of endometriosis. Through the years, I have had 4 surgeries to keep the endometriosis in check but every year it got worse and worse.

Endometriosis is a disease of the reproductive tract where the endometrial cells grow outside the uterus and damages everything in its path like a weed. It is also thought to be caused by immune dysfunction. Mine was mostly on my ovaries and around my fallopian tubes. I have had 2 ablation (cauterized) and 2 excision (cut out) the endometriosis. I also had an ovarian torsion in April of 2014 that landed me in the hospital multiple times before surgery. Both tubes were removed in 2021 with the advice of my surgeon which revealed they were completely twisted and filled with toxic fluid.

On January 20th, 2024, I had a total hysterectomy for stage IV endometriosis. For the past 5 years, the pain has been non-stop, 24/7 nagging pelvic pain which has affected EVERY ASPECT of our life. Last November, the pain got so bad that I threw in the towel and made the decision to have the hysterectomy done and it was the BEST decision, absolutely no regrets!!!

6 months leading up to the surgery, I couldn’t sit, stand or function without being in constant pain which was no way to live. After the pathology reports came back, I found out that my condition was even worse than I had thought. I also had adenomyosis of the uterus and endometriosis around both ureters that started to twist which could have put me in kidney failure if left untreated.

With endometriosis, it is very common to have other autoimmune diseases. In 2016, I also fell ill with an autoimmune disease that attacked my nervous system. The nerves to my large and small intestine, bladder, and ANS (Autonomic Nervous System) have been damaged due to Central Nervous System (CNS) Lupus. In 2017, I went into digestive failure which led me to be put on TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition) to save my life and keep me alive. I am so grateful for the amazing strides I have made in my health, but it did become apparent through failed pregnancies that my body still cannot regulate itself like it should even with all the medical and holistic treatments. My blood pressure became high and uncontrolled even with 3 raises in blood pressure medication which could have put me at risk for early pre-eclampsia.

Matt and I have gone through tremendous loss and grief through this process. We have experienced reoccurring pregnancy loss (4 miscarriages) with IVF which has left us exhausted both emotionally, physically and financially. Thankfully, we have four embryos in the freezer that we would love to have a chance to bring home.

Surrogacy is very expensive and some of the costs are not covered by insurance. We as intended parents cover the costs of psych evaluations, medical clearance, legal fees, procedures and medications the surrogate requires for each cycle. As a police officer (Matt) and substitute teacher (Holly), covering surrogacy costs seems out of reach but making this fundraiser gives us HOPE.

We would be so incredibly grateful for any help we can get and 100% of donations will go towards our surrogacy journey. Matt and I have dreamed of becoming parents together very early on in our relationship. We truly cannot wait to be parents and have a sweet baby in our arms and finally gain the title of MOM and DAD!!!

UPDATE 9/24/2024: Unfortunately, our surrogacy journey with our current surrogate has ended due to medical issues on her side. This has been extremely heartbreaking and a devastating loss on both sides. We are so incredibly grateful to Jenessa and her family for their commitment and support. We are not sure how we are going to move forward but what we do know, we are looking to go on an altruistic surrogacy journey with someone who has the heart to give us this gift. THANK-YOU to everyone who has supported us 🙂

Love,

Matt & Holly (Cordero) Smith