Help Brittany Become a Parent

As many of you know, I completed three rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI) with Dr. John Preston Parry at Positive Steps Fertility, all of which were unsuccessful. The next logical step for me is a cycle of IVF, but unfortunately fertility treatments are not covered by most insurance, including mine. I paid for my three IUIs out of pocket, but IVF comes with a heavier price tag. I usually fundraise for a non-profit for my birthday, but this year, I really need help for myself if this is going to be a possibility.
Photo of an ultrasound showing a nearly mature follicle from IUI attempt #2.


I've always known I wanted to be a parent, but for many years, it was not the right time due to personal, financial, and logistical reasons. After doing a tremendous amount of work in each of those areas, I decided the best path for me was to stop waiting for "Mr. Right" and instead make it right for me. Fertility declines rapidly after age 35, and again more severely at age 40, so it's unlikely that I will be able to achieve this goal without medical assistance, especially since I am turning 39 in just a few days. While I'm well aware that being a parent is expensive, the upfront costs associated with IVF make it prohibitive for many people who would otherwise be in a financially stable position to raise a child, and this is definitely the situation in my case. I love being an aunt and a dog mom, caring for the children of my friends and former partners, and my previous work in early childhood education. Becoming a parent myself has been a goal of mine since I was a kid; when folks say "it takes a village," I never imagined that would include crowdfunding, but here we are.
Photo of Mallori and Dr. Parry from IUI #3.

The goal amount of this Go Fund Me is the approximate cost of one cycle of IVF for me, excluding travel, which will include donor sperm, medications and injections, monitoring, egg harvest, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), assisted hatching, pre-genetic testing (PGT), one transfer of a viable embryo or embryos (if any), and cryopreservation with one year of frozen storage for any additional embryos. I'll be paying out-of-pocket for what I can, and am also looking at personal loans and refinancing my house, but anything anyone would be willing to contribute would help me get closer to making this goal a reality. It does not include additional frozen embryo transfers which, while still costly, are greatly reduced compared to a full IVF cycle, and this may be something I explore in the future, contingent on the quantity and quality of any embryos that develop, and additional costs at that time. Depending on my outcomes, I am very interested in donating any additional viable embryos to another person or family facing a similar situation.
Photo of nurse Sarah preparing my Seattle Sperm Bank donor sperm from IUI #2.

If, for whatever reason, I'm unable to proceed with IVF treatment, all funds raised will be donated to the family-building journey of another person or couple, or possibly becoming a foster parent myself, but this journey needs to come to a conclusion before beginning another. I am forever grateful for any support you can offer.
Photo of Katie's sperm cookies from our donor selection party on November 7, 2020.