A World of Possibility-IVF Journey
Donation protected
As I sit here contemplating the words to write I am overwhelmed with emotion. I am scared, excited, worried about being judged, hopeful, and most of all terrified for what is to come.
Hello we are Kimber and Casey. Our infertility journey started six years ago. I remember as we were dating, soon to be engaged Casey told me about some of the side effects of his chronic terminal illness, stating that in men with Cystic Fibrosis have a 98% chance of being infertile (cff.org). At that time, I comprehended what this meant, although, I did not understand the full implications of what it would mean to our lives. We made the decision early on that we would not use any contraceptives in our marriage, because if we were to get pregnant it would be a miracle and very welcomed. We are religious and have prayed throughout the years for a miracle, while still being practical and trying to save for what we knew would come.
After many years of heartbreak, watching family and friends growing their families and not being able to, we came to terms with the fact that our options were Invetro Fertilization (IVF), adoption, or foster care. With this acceptance, we moved on with our lives. I received my bachelor’s degree in the area I love most, Family Studies, while Casey worked hard to provide for us as I completed my studies. After graduating, in August I had a much-needed surgery for my endometriosis. After the surgery, my doctor and I talked and she stated that I either needed to get on birth control or if we wanted children to do it now. What she had seen around my uterus and ovaries was bad. In fact, my left ovary is still fused to my pelvic wall because she did not want to do damage to the ureter which was stuck underneath. With this added knowledge, we decided to move forward with IVF.
This year Casey has been blessed with an incredible job that has helped us get out of debt, helped us give to many friends and family members, start a business (which cost a lot of money), and given much to our religious organization. We had even saved some for IVF, and were planning on continuing to save to be able to do this on our own. Last month Casey's job went south and he is now working hard at being self-employed. The money that we had saved in our IVF savings has been depleted due to a couple operations that we have performed and there are more that need to be completed.
The nurse is awaiting my call to order my medication that I will need to start the egg retrieval process, the only thing holding us back is that I need $3,100 for the medication. I need to have these ordered by Monday November 6th at the latest. The remaining $6,900 will go towards a surgery that I will need to have before we can transfer the embryos into my uterus. Along with the cost of the transfer itself. We have already paid for testing and an operation on each of us. From the genetic testing results I am not a carrier of Cystic Fibrosis (CF), which means that our children will be healthy. We are truly excited about the possibility of adding a child to our family. Your support would mean the world to us. You would be the means of helping our family grow.
It was hard on Casey when he told me about his job, for he knew that he could no longer provide the monetary means to pay for IVF. Although Casey is very healthy compared to those his age with CF, he still must face the possibility that he will not live as long as most people. He does not want to bring children into the world if he cannot be there to raise them, because he has seen the effect not having a father can have on a child. To him it is now or never. If we can have children now he will have the opportunity to raise them to adulthood. All he has ever wanted to do is be a dad. He hears fathers describe how having a child changed them and helped them understand a fraction of the love our Father in Heaven has for us. He desires to be able to raise children and feel of that love and your help will make that possible.
Thank you for reading our story and for the kindness you have shown Casey and I throughout our lives! We appreciate all you can do, whether that be reading our story and sharing it, donating, or commenting words of encouragement. This is a difficult thing for us to do, I am not one to ask for money, being this vulnerable is a scary step for both of us. Please help in any way you can. We love you!
Hello we are Kimber and Casey. Our infertility journey started six years ago. I remember as we were dating, soon to be engaged Casey told me about some of the side effects of his chronic terminal illness, stating that in men with Cystic Fibrosis have a 98% chance of being infertile (cff.org). At that time, I comprehended what this meant, although, I did not understand the full implications of what it would mean to our lives. We made the decision early on that we would not use any contraceptives in our marriage, because if we were to get pregnant it would be a miracle and very welcomed. We are religious and have prayed throughout the years for a miracle, while still being practical and trying to save for what we knew would come.
After many years of heartbreak, watching family and friends growing their families and not being able to, we came to terms with the fact that our options were Invetro Fertilization (IVF), adoption, or foster care. With this acceptance, we moved on with our lives. I received my bachelor’s degree in the area I love most, Family Studies, while Casey worked hard to provide for us as I completed my studies. After graduating, in August I had a much-needed surgery for my endometriosis. After the surgery, my doctor and I talked and she stated that I either needed to get on birth control or if we wanted children to do it now. What she had seen around my uterus and ovaries was bad. In fact, my left ovary is still fused to my pelvic wall because she did not want to do damage to the ureter which was stuck underneath. With this added knowledge, we decided to move forward with IVF.
This year Casey has been blessed with an incredible job that has helped us get out of debt, helped us give to many friends and family members, start a business (which cost a lot of money), and given much to our religious organization. We had even saved some for IVF, and were planning on continuing to save to be able to do this on our own. Last month Casey's job went south and he is now working hard at being self-employed. The money that we had saved in our IVF savings has been depleted due to a couple operations that we have performed and there are more that need to be completed.
The nurse is awaiting my call to order my medication that I will need to start the egg retrieval process, the only thing holding us back is that I need $3,100 for the medication. I need to have these ordered by Monday November 6th at the latest. The remaining $6,900 will go towards a surgery that I will need to have before we can transfer the embryos into my uterus. Along with the cost of the transfer itself. We have already paid for testing and an operation on each of us. From the genetic testing results I am not a carrier of Cystic Fibrosis (CF), which means that our children will be healthy. We are truly excited about the possibility of adding a child to our family. Your support would mean the world to us. You would be the means of helping our family grow.
It was hard on Casey when he told me about his job, for he knew that he could no longer provide the monetary means to pay for IVF. Although Casey is very healthy compared to those his age with CF, he still must face the possibility that he will not live as long as most people. He does not want to bring children into the world if he cannot be there to raise them, because he has seen the effect not having a father can have on a child. To him it is now or never. If we can have children now he will have the opportunity to raise them to adulthood. All he has ever wanted to do is be a dad. He hears fathers describe how having a child changed them and helped them understand a fraction of the love our Father in Heaven has for us. He desires to be able to raise children and feel of that love and your help will make that possible.
Thank you for reading our story and for the kindness you have shown Casey and I throughout our lives! We appreciate all you can do, whether that be reading our story and sharing it, donating, or commenting words of encouragement. This is a difficult thing for us to do, I am not one to ask for money, being this vulnerable is a scary step for both of us. Please help in any way you can. We love you!
Organizer
Kimber L Fisher
Organizer
Clearfield, UT
