Michel Baby
Donation protected
Our story is not unique. We have joined ranks with the tens of thousands of couples around the world who need medical intervention to start a family. We have been a part of this army for 8 years and are now facing our final chance to conceive a child.
As I read the other stories so similar to ours we have to pause and ask ourselves, why us? What makes us so different from other couples hoping to make their dreams come true?
The truth is nothing really makes us special, we just hope that by sharing our story that something about it pulls on your heartstrings and you will feel the joy a child would bring us.
My name is Jennifer. I am a 38 year old woman who was diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) at age 18. I have battled all the symptoms that come with PCOS for over 20 years knowing always, that conception would be difficult. I have worked in the social service field for over 18 years and currently work for a Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program. My husband, BJ is a 32 year old Iraqi war vet who is a CDL Owner-Operator with no known medical issues (although I am sure all the injections during his time in the Army and driving a truck 14 hours a day doesn't help). We met in 2005 at a singles bible study and were engaged within two years. On August 23rd, we will be married for 6 years.
We began treatment as soon as we got engaged so we could try and start a family immediately after getting married. For the first 5 years it seemed like every time we got one issue/hormone level/blood test stabilized another one went haywire! Finally in 2011, everything lined up and we started the fertility drugs. I got pregnant on the first try. After a series of misinformation from our doctor and abnormal results, we lost our baby "Joe" around week 10-12. It took over a year and a half to work through the grief and stabilize everything medically again in order to begin three unsuccessful rounds of fertility drugs.
In the fall of 2013, we moved on from just fertility drugs and we did 3 artificial inseminations with no success. We finally decided enough was enough. Everyone agreed the next and only logical step was IVF: and here we are.
We are working very hard at making this dream a reality. I am working hard at getting my body prepared for it by doing a total overhaul of my diet and exercise life to get the PCOS under control, learning to meditate and "relax" (not easy for a Type A like me), trying every day to be positive and writing on our blog page to keep everyone informed of the latest steps of this journey. BJ is working on various financial possibilities to help fund this dream. Some steps we are taking to raise the necessary money include moving in with my mom, selling our beloved motorcycle, looking for donated medications and looking for grants. We just aren't sure that will be enough...and so we have turned to Go Fund Me to make up the difference.
Our faith in God and the fact that He wouldn't have given us the desire and skills to be good parents if we weren't meant to be parents is what keeps us going. I have this vision of our Joe, my Dad and my Gram and Poppy all in Heaven playing with and preparing the perfect child to send to us at just the right time. It is the most comforting and peaceful thought and one I rely on heavily during those really tough days.
If you would like to help us make our dream come true, please click on the Donate Button to the right of your screen. To stay informed of the latest in our journey, please visit our blog at http://www.laughlinesandlittlekisses.wordpress.com .
As my sister says, "If only 1800 people donate $10, this will be a piece of cake!" Well, we don't know 1800 people, but BJ and I appreciate any and all help from as many people as we do know! Thank you in advance for your prayers and donations in helping to make this dream of ours come true.
I can't wait to change this Fund Raising Announcement to a Baby Announcement!
As I read the other stories so similar to ours we have to pause and ask ourselves, why us? What makes us so different from other couples hoping to make their dreams come true?
The truth is nothing really makes us special, we just hope that by sharing our story that something about it pulls on your heartstrings and you will feel the joy a child would bring us.
My name is Jennifer. I am a 38 year old woman who was diagnosed with Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) at age 18. I have battled all the symptoms that come with PCOS for over 20 years knowing always, that conception would be difficult. I have worked in the social service field for over 18 years and currently work for a Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program. My husband, BJ is a 32 year old Iraqi war vet who is a CDL Owner-Operator with no known medical issues (although I am sure all the injections during his time in the Army and driving a truck 14 hours a day doesn't help). We met in 2005 at a singles bible study and were engaged within two years. On August 23rd, we will be married for 6 years.
We began treatment as soon as we got engaged so we could try and start a family immediately after getting married. For the first 5 years it seemed like every time we got one issue/hormone level/blood test stabilized another one went haywire! Finally in 2011, everything lined up and we started the fertility drugs. I got pregnant on the first try. After a series of misinformation from our doctor and abnormal results, we lost our baby "Joe" around week 10-12. It took over a year and a half to work through the grief and stabilize everything medically again in order to begin three unsuccessful rounds of fertility drugs.
In the fall of 2013, we moved on from just fertility drugs and we did 3 artificial inseminations with no success. We finally decided enough was enough. Everyone agreed the next and only logical step was IVF: and here we are.
We are working very hard at making this dream a reality. I am working hard at getting my body prepared for it by doing a total overhaul of my diet and exercise life to get the PCOS under control, learning to meditate and "relax" (not easy for a Type A like me), trying every day to be positive and writing on our blog page to keep everyone informed of the latest steps of this journey. BJ is working on various financial possibilities to help fund this dream. Some steps we are taking to raise the necessary money include moving in with my mom, selling our beloved motorcycle, looking for donated medications and looking for grants. We just aren't sure that will be enough...and so we have turned to Go Fund Me to make up the difference.
Our faith in God and the fact that He wouldn't have given us the desire and skills to be good parents if we weren't meant to be parents is what keeps us going. I have this vision of our Joe, my Dad and my Gram and Poppy all in Heaven playing with and preparing the perfect child to send to us at just the right time. It is the most comforting and peaceful thought and one I rely on heavily during those really tough days.
If you would like to help us make our dream come true, please click on the Donate Button to the right of your screen. To stay informed of the latest in our journey, please visit our blog at http://www.laughlinesandlittlekisses.wordpress.com .
As my sister says, "If only 1800 people donate $10, this will be a piece of cake!" Well, we don't know 1800 people, but BJ and I appreciate any and all help from as many people as we do know! Thank you in advance for your prayers and donations in helping to make this dream of ours come true.
I can't wait to change this Fund Raising Announcement to a Baby Announcement!
Organizer
Jenn Mick
Organizer
Palmyra, PA
