My name is Katerin Garrido, I am 33 years old, and together with my husband, Sean Seraphin who is also 33 years old, we have embarked in the journey to form a family. Unfortunately, we have been dealing with infertility for 2 years now and have not been successful at becoming pregnant, despite all the treatment and methods used (5 failed IUI attempts); and this is why we ask for your help.

Our story began when we were kids back in 1988 when we were 5 years old in the Dominican Republic.  Sean and his family had moved to the country a few years before, and we ended up in the same classroom at school for the next 10 years. Rumor has it that Sean always had a crush on me and always tried to impress me, by giving gifts on Valentine’s Day. In September 1998, Sean moved back to the U.S. to finish high school here; and the following year, my family and I moved to Spain. It wasn’t until 2010 that we reconnected, when we were both part of a group chat with old friends from our school days in the Dominican Republic.  Our conversations went from group conversations, to Sean showing extra attention to me and sending private messages. We used to text throughout the whole day and almost all night until we decided to start speaking on the phone which then turned into 4-5 hour conversations (a lot of calling cards).

In July 2011, I decided to visit Sean, and immediately felt something special. Sean was driving 70 miles a day (round trip) to go see me in Miami where I was staying at a relative’s home. The days felt short and all we wanted to do was to be with each other; those 5 weeks that we were together, truly became a magical experience.  At the end of my initial trip, we decided to give our relationship a chance and work through the difficulties of a long distance relationship. With a lot of prayers, calls, text messages and a few more visits over the next year, we realized that we had definitely found our soulmates in each other, and wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. Sean asked me to marry him on January 2013, and a year later we tied the knot.

From the beginning, our magical ride has always included forming a family together; but we have been presented with the difficult and frustrating scenario of not being able to conceive. Sean was diagnosed with secondary hypogonadism (a condition that indicates low production of testosterone and/or sperm due to the poor production of FSH and LH hormones. Despite all the treatment he has undergone, we have simply not been able to succeed at getting pregnant; the physician that has been treating us for the better part of the last 2 years, has now recommended IVF treatment, which will greatly increase our chances of achieving this dream, but the cost of the procedure exceeds our current financial capabilities.

My husband put himself through school, finishing up his undergraduate studies and master’s degree in just 5 years. Now, he’s looking for an opportunity to start a new career as a healthcare administrator, and be able to provide for us. I am also a full time employee for a major acquisition retailer of satellite services as a quality assurance manager. We enjoy attending sporting events (he’s a big time Yankees fan), going to the movies, grilling and being at the pool with family and friends.

There are no words that can describe the significance of receiving such blessing. To have a small piece from each of us to cherish, take care of and love, would mean the world to us both; it would be the perfect ending to this difficult journey we have endured.

We thank you for your help. God Bless!