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Carleigh & Steven's IVF Journey

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Hello, my name is Steven Dueck. My wife Carleigh and I met in 2015, and were married in 2018. We've always known that we wanted to start a family together, discussing our interest to become parents within months of meeting. After 8 years together, graduating from college, establishing ourselves with careers and a home, we decided we were ready to expand our family and it was time to make that desire a reality.

Unfortunately, we found out that the path to parenthood will not be an easy one for us. We are faced with the reality that our only chance of having a child of our own is through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). This process offers us hope, but it also comes with a significant financial burden.

For those who know Carleigh and me well, you are already aware of our efforts to become parents. For those who are just getting to know us, we'd like to share a bit about ourselves and the challenging road that has led us here. We also want to thank you for following along with us and being a part of our journey to parenthood. We have provided some details below to help express how challenging infertility can be along with what the upcoming year has in store for us.

After some time of trying to conceive, in December of 2022 I was diagnosed with an idiopathic condition (a condition whose cause is unknown) that makes natural conception impossible. We went from the excitement and anticipation of pregnancy and parenthood to the possibility of a childless future. While we immediately began researching our options along with setting up appointments with different doctors and fertility clinics, the process was filled with long stretches of waiting and uncertainty, and we struggled to hold on to hope that IVF treatment would even be an option.

Now we have finally come out of that period of waiting and hoping for the chance at expanding our family together. In the last week of September we went from not knowing if we would be able to proceed with IVF to being told we can move forward and to start the paperwork to begin treatment in October 2023. While we are grateful that there is a way forward for us now, we are bracing for the emotional, physical, and financial toll that comes with this treatment.

We are trying to stay positive and strong for the next few months as we work through treatment, though this has proven difficult, especially with Carleigh’s mom, Beth, having passed away unexpectedly in July of 2023. Dealing with the unknowns of IVF has made this already difficult grief journey even more emotionally challenging.

IVF treatment has gotten much more sophisticated and successful over the last decade or so, but is extremely expensive. Thankfully we do have some insurance coverage for infertility treatment (most insurance plans only cover diagnosis and not treatment), but this benefit has a lifetime maximum that will not quite cover the full cost of one retrieval cycle, to say nothing of the 2-3 transfer cycles that are typically needed to achieve a pregnancy. After accounting for this coverage, with one IVF retrieval and 3 transfers we are expecting the cost to be roughly $40,000. As you can see this is a large sum and sadly the savings we had set aside for a natural conception pregnancy and birth have already been spent getting to this point.

We are humbly asking you to join us in our journey, and all donations will be directed to the cost of treatment. Your generosity will not only help us manage the financial burden but also support our chance to experience the joy of holding our child in our arms.

We understand that times are tough for everyone, and we truly appreciate any support you can offer, whether it's a small contribution or simply sharing our story with your network. Thank you for taking the time to read our story and for considering supporting our journey to parenthood. We are filled with gratitude and hope as we embark on this endeavor, and we invite you to join us in making our dreams come true. If you are unable to donate at this time please spread the word by sharing our fundraiser, every little bit helps.

Once again, thank you for your love and support. Please continue sending your well wishes, love, and encouragement our way.

With heartfelt thanks,

Carleigh and Steven Dueck
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Donations 

  • Leah Schminkey
    • $25
    • 1 yr
  • Anonymous
    • $100
    • 1 yr
  • Elizabeth Watkins
    • $20
    • 1 yr
  • David Dueck
    • $100
    • 1 yr
  • Lindsey Lundby
    • $100
    • 1 yr
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Fundraising team (2)

Steven Dueck
Organizer
Osseo, MN
Carleigh Dueck
Team member

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