Baby Lowe IVF Fund

Our Infertility Journey 
Mikie and I got married in 2005 and even though we were 25, we thought we were still so young. So we decided to wait a few years before trying to get pregnant. In 2007, I stopped taking birth control and we said "whatever happens, happens" but we weren't going to officially "try." After 2 years of nothing happening and purchasing our new home, we started actually trying and obsessing over temperatures, counting days, and other timing tricks. Then in 2010, I finally talked to my doctor who scheduled tests for both of us. After those results, we were referred to an infertility specialist who basically told us our best option for pregnancy was IVF (in vitro fertilization). We weren't ready for all of that at the time--and definitely did not have that kind of money--so we asked to try artificial insemination first (which is a lot cheaper). We tried that twice within those next couple of years, but it was unsuccessful. The stress and heartache of what we were dealing with, and looking at going forward, was too much and we decided to take a couple years off from obsessing over it and just relax--even though I secretly hoped for a miracle every month, but alas (at least) 24 more negative pregnancy tests later, still no Baby Lowe. Then in 2014, our infertility clinic started offering something called Natural Cycle IVF--less drugs, less eggs, and (most importantly) less money. We were excited about this opportunity and did our first IVF cycle that year. We ended up with 2 little baby embryos! We were so excited to transfer one of them, but right before Christmas we got the news that it didn't work and I wasn't pregnant. We were so disappointed and sad, but we had hope for our other little frozen embryo and for the start of a new, fresh year. In May of 2015, we transferred the frozen one and were so overjoyed and grateful when I turned out to be pregnant. But, unfortunately, that Baby Lowe became our Baby Angel and is waiting on us in Heaven. We were so devastated and so heartbroken over our loss and what we thought was our only chance. But even though it's still painful, we pushed on because we refuse to give up on our dream to be parents. In 2016, we refinanced our house, cashed out stocks, borrowed money from family, and scrounged every penny we had, and we actually went through 2 more IVF cycles. Both were failures, we didn't even end up with any viable embryos. This whole journey has been so emotionally draining and frustrating. We just don't understand why something that should be the easiest thing in the world is so hard for us. Friends tell us we're strong, but we don't feel very strong--we couldn't have survived all of this without God giving us His strength and showing us the way, and without a lot of people praying for us. We have this desire in our hearts to be parents, and we have faith that the desire is not there for no reason. And so, after a new procedure, we have decided to try one more time (maybe 4th time's a charm?), and we are praying that this time is the time God has planned for. And if not, we will just have to move on to other options, because as I said before, we will never give up! So today we are asking for financial help (since we have cleaned out all savings, etc for the other 3 times), believe me any little bit will definitely help. We hate that we have to ask for donations for this, but you know the saying "desperate times calls for desperate measures," and we are so desperate to get our Baby Lowe and finally have the family that we have always dreamed of.
Thanks and love,
Lori & Mikie Lowe