In early December, after months of fertility testing and appointments, I had surgery that finally gave my husband and me the answers we had been searching for. My fallopian tubes were severely damaged and had to be removed, making IVF our only option for having a child.

This has been a lot for us to process. Losing the ability to conceive naturally has been an emotional shift, especially after I lost my mom when I was 22. The idea of becoming parents has always held deep meaning for us, and coming to terms with a path that looks different than we imagined has taken time and many honest conversations.

While we are no longer fundraising for IVF itself, this journey left us with significant debt. Before surgery, we accumulated medical debt from extensive fertility testing, appointments, and procedures. None of this was fully covered by insurance, and the financial impact has carried into our daily lives.

At the same time, life didn’t slow down. Many of you know our cat Lady was very sick and passed away just a few days before my surgery. This week, we also lost our dog Eva. Saying goodbye to two beloved pets while navigating surgery, grief, and recovery has been heartbreaking, and the veterinary care required during that time added to the debt we were already carrying.

We’re usually the kind of people who figure things out and keep moving forward, but this year has been heavier than we expected.

This fundraiser is to help us pay down the medical and veterinary debt that accumulated during this incredibly challenging year, so we can move forward with less financial strain and focus on healing and what’s next for our family.

If you’re able to donate, share, or simply send love, please know how grateful we are. Thank you for supporting us and for holding space for this chapter.

With love,

Caitlin & Nicholas