Help Abby and Bryan in their IVF journey

My sister Abby and I have been best friends since she entered this world 26 years ago. We've celebrated each other's triumphs, and carried each other through the tough times. Abby and her husband Bryan (Justin's and my brother-in-law), are now facing one of those tough times. After over 4 years of trying to conceive and facing frustrating and mysterious fertility problems, Abby and Bryan were finally approved for IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). After a long while of trying desperately to financially and mentally prepare for this $20,000 endeavor, they were blindsided by an additional very expensive (but necessary) genetic test that is needed in order for them to safely move forward with the procedure.

...My sister spent the better part of this morning crying in her kitchen over the additional $6,500 genetic test that needs to be done in order to determine if her child will have Hemophilia.


Rewind back to when Abby and I were kids: One of these very first "tough times" I remember most vividly, was the first time Abby got a nose bleed that would not stop. My grandparents (though well intentioned) chalked it up to just being a kid. All kids get nose-bleeds, right? But no. This was different.

Our mom ended up bringing Abby to the doctor many times over the course of our childhood to try and determine the problem. She was eventually diagnosed with "Von Willebrand Disease (VWD)" otherwise known as Factor 8 Deficiency, which is a milder form of Hemophilia, and keeps the blood from clotting properly. The rest of our childhood days after that diagnoses, though predominantly bright and happy, were forever marked with the worry of injury. At age 10, my sister got a concussion falling off her scooter. The doctor told her at the time, that with her condition, another bad concussion could cause bleeding on the brain, which could be deadly.

The problem Abby and Bryan are facing now in adulthood, is that since Abby has Factor 8 Deficiency, she is a carrier for full-blown Hemophilia. If they go through IVF and have a son, the chances of him having active Hemophilia are very high, and the effects of Hemophilia usually present much more strongly in men than in women. The genetic testing that would be done would be able to determine which Embryo's test positive for Hemophilia, so they can therefore determine which ones are healthiest. While completely necessary in the face of my sister's condition, the news of the additional cost of such a test has been will-shattering for the both of them.

It is without a question in my mind that Abby and Bryan would literally be the best parents ever. With mom as a pastry chef, dad as a train driver, and a yard full of chickens, how could a kid go wrong? They have so much love to give, and have been ready for this step for awhile now. The one thing my sister and brother-in-law *don't* want for their future child is a surprise, life-changing diagnosis, like my sister had.

Please consider donating to help Abby and Bryan jump this final expensive hurdle towards fulfilling their dreams of having a healthy child!