As the saying always goes, you never truly know what someone is going through until you walk a mile in their shoes.

5 Years Ago:

Derek and I were married in 2019. We were lucky to start off our marriage in the most perfect why by achieving the bigger goals we always dreamed of having like buying a house, adopting a rescue pup, and making sure my bonus daughter had the opportunity to attend the best public school in our area. In our minds our life was perfect and then the pandemic hit. During this time we realized we were missing a vital piece to our family. A baby.

Four Years Ago:

The stress of the pandemic hit and within a few months I noticed extreme weight gain. Regardless of what I did (dieting and working out) I had trouble losing the weight and I knew there had to be an underlying issue. In the fall of 2020 I sought medical help to find answers. In December of 2020 I became a patient at UCSD's fertility center. I was diagnosed with PCOS type 3 and unexplained infertility.

Three Years Ago to Now:

When you first start with fertility most people instantly think IVF. Derek and I were lucky to start with a less invasive route called IUI (intrauterine insemination). After 7 failed attempts and 7 separate heartbreaks we became candidates for IVF.

In 2022 I started the process. I went through one very successful, yet complicated egg retrieval, which blessed us with 14 beautiful embryos. After a few months of recovery I was able to have my first FET (frozen embryo transfer) and sadly was unsuccessful. More tests were run and after multiple biopsies on my uterus I was diagnosed with chronic endometritis. I learned that this was my main cause as to why my embryos never stuck. I went through 8 rounds of treatment for this before I was able to do my second FET. And we got pregnant!!! During my 7 week ultrasound we found out there was no baby and no heartbeat and we were left confused and devastated.

In January of 2024 I met with one of the UCSD's top fertility specialist who dealt with unique cases like mine and underwent a very extensive uterine surgery. Not only was he able to remove 100% of my chronic endometritis that was still causing inflammation of my lining, but he removed tons of non-cancerous polyps. We were in the clear to have our best transfer yet! Three weeks ago we had our third FET. Results were seen immediately and all seemed well until I had another loss.

I am now deemed as a patient with unknown re-occurring pregnancy loss, PCOS type 3, and unexplained infertility. During our entire journey we have had to pay thousands of dollars out of our own pocket due to insurance covering 0% of the cost. Doctors are running more tests as we speak and still firmly believe that we can be successful.

I truly believe that my purpose in life is to have a baby. We refuse to give up and are finally at a crossroads. I have kept this journey private and most will be surprised to hear of our struggles. We simply can't afford to continue this journey without help.

Any and all donations are greatly appreciated. 100% of all funds will go directly towards the ongoing bills that IVF requires (embryo storage, the actual transfer, all medicine, and finally doctor visits). I know that times are difficult and completely understand if finances are tight (trust me, I know firsthand). Thank you for sharing this with people you know, in lieu of a donation!

Stay tuned for updates on our journey.