*For this Child, we have prayed* - 1 Samuel 1:27

As a mother, your heart breaks when you see your children suffer, knowing there is nothing you can do in a situation of infertility. The one thing I can do, is try to help ease the financial stresses the IVF treatment will cause.

For many couples, conceiving a child occurs easily and within the first year of trying. Unfortunately, this is not the case for them.

Austin and McKenzie are 1 in 5.

1 in 5 couples are unable to get pregnant in the first year. Infertility is many things. It's frustrating, heartbreaking, and unfair. It's thinking about how you're going to announce the pregnancy and only seeing 1 line on a pregnancy test. It's watching your close friends and family announce their pregnancies and being happy for them, but sad it's not you. It's each holiday passing thinking, "this was going to be the first holiday we had with our baby."

Austin and McKenzie's journey started in February 2021. All forms of contraception were stopped. They believed it would take at least 3 months to get pregnant as McKenzie was on birth control for many years due to health issues. On May 21st, 2021 they got married after being together for 2 years. As the months passed and the tests continued to come back negative, they got a little more serious. They started tracking McKenzie's ovulation and would plan around it. Still, no positive test. In March of 2022 McKenzie saw her OBGYN hoping to find answers. Almost hoping he found something wrong, because when there's something wrong, it can be fixed right? However, all her tests came back "normal." In April 2022 Austin had labs done. After months of trying, there was a diagnosis: male factor infertility. Austin is part of the 10% of men who battle with this. After an additional test it was clear that the only way of pregnancy was IVF. Bittersweet. Sweet that there was an answer, bitter that this had to be the way. Nobody imagines this is what they would have to do. McKenzie and Austin both have health insurance, but neither insurance covers infertility. They both work 40+ hours a week, McKenzie as a nurse and Austin as a marketing manager, to avoid the costly medical bills that are already coming in.

If you know them, you know that this is a couple who have dedicated their lives to enhancing the lives of others.

If you are unable to donate, please know your thoughts, support, and prayers are more than enough and is very appreciated.