Help Nicole & Ethan start a family after cancer
Donation protected
Welcome to Nicole & Ethan's GoFundMePage! After receiving several queries from friends and family on how they could help Nicole battle leukemia and support Ethan, we decided this would be a good place to start helping them fulfill their dreams of being parents after cancer.
As many of you know, in 2015 Nicole was diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia). After spending 2 days at the UCLA ER, she was admitted for treatment and spent a month there doing induction chemotherapy. One of our nurses had brought IVF to their attention to save Nicole’s eggs if possible. They were given the name of a fertility specialist close to home, and while Nicole was discharged from UCLA between treatments, they did an egg retrieval and got one viable embryo from it. She then had her second round of treatment, consolidation chemotherapy. After begin discharged from that, they decided to try another egg retrieval before her bone marrow transplant. They did this second one, unknowingly, while Nicole had relapsed.
The leukemia had returned. :( She had no platelets or immune system while undergoing the egg retrieval procedure. The evening of the retrieval, her stomach was much distended and she was taken the hospital where they found her leukemia had returned and she was bleeding internally.
It was a long, trying next couple of months. She underwent salvage chemotherapy to try and get the leukemia under control, but it killed her cells so rapidly that her kidneys couldn't keep up. Her lungs filled with fluid and she couldn't breathe on her own. At that point doctors told Ethan that Nicole had maybe a 5% chance of survival. :( Miraculously, by the grace of God, she started recovering. Her doctors were very surprised she made it through! She finally had her transplant on April 6th, 2016. This coming April 2021 will be 5 years post-transplant, which they say is the marker where you’re considered officially cured, YAY!
From the second egg retrieval, Nicole & Ethan were blessed to get 5 more embryos. They started IVF cycles in August 2019 and 6 months later tried a transfer. It didn’t take, and they were told the chances are slim to none that this will work. This really hit home and made them realize they had to start thinking about a surrogate, as they only have 5 embryos left. Nicole & Ethan know these children are meant to be brought into this world, but unfortunately, it can’t be through Nicole.
Since her transplant, Nicole has had obstacles with graft versus host disease, which have kept her on immune suppressants. So she’s unable to work in her previous profession as a dental hygienist due to her suppressed immune system. On top of all the medical treatments and IVF procedures, budgeting for a surrogate was not in their plan. They thought about adoption, but simply feel they can’t give up on everything they’ve gone through to have these embryos and then not use them. With them, they have their own children already; they just need help to get them here!
They are an amazing, loving couple with a stable home that are hoping for the opportunity to finally start the family they had hoped for 5 years ago. It’s not easy asking for money and support but it’s definitely for a good cause! The overall costs of surrogacy are between $120-150k, which is astounding and not an easy feat for even those living comfortably. Despite this obstacle they are determined to bring these kids into this world and know that through the generosity of others their dream of being parents will be realized! The funds raised would be going toward:
Agency fees: $25,000
Legal fees: $12,750
Background checks: $5,250
Insurance: $25,500
Surrogate expenses: $54,750
Possible miscellaneous: $15,000-$20,000
They will have to pay for the agency and legal fees as soon as they have found their surrogate, which will be very soon. The surrogacy agency has said to plan on spending $150k during this process. They plan on trying to raise half and pay the other half with their savings and credit lines, hoping not to get too far into debt before bringing the babies into the world! I understand that giving financially is not an option for everyone. So prayers, continued encouragement and support are greatly needed. If you’re able, sharing this post will help as well! I’m truly grateful for any and all help/donations. By fulfilling this goal, I hope we can help them focus on being able to create the family they dream of! Thank you!
As many of you know, in 2015 Nicole was diagnosed with AML (acute myeloid leukemia). After spending 2 days at the UCLA ER, she was admitted for treatment and spent a month there doing induction chemotherapy. One of our nurses had brought IVF to their attention to save Nicole’s eggs if possible. They were given the name of a fertility specialist close to home, and while Nicole was discharged from UCLA between treatments, they did an egg retrieval and got one viable embryo from it. She then had her second round of treatment, consolidation chemotherapy. After begin discharged from that, they decided to try another egg retrieval before her bone marrow transplant. They did this second one, unknowingly, while Nicole had relapsed.
The leukemia had returned. :( She had no platelets or immune system while undergoing the egg retrieval procedure. The evening of the retrieval, her stomach was much distended and she was taken the hospital where they found her leukemia had returned and she was bleeding internally.It was a long, trying next couple of months. She underwent salvage chemotherapy to try and get the leukemia under control, but it killed her cells so rapidly that her kidneys couldn't keep up. Her lungs filled with fluid and she couldn't breathe on her own. At that point doctors told Ethan that Nicole had maybe a 5% chance of survival. :( Miraculously, by the grace of God, she started recovering. Her doctors were very surprised she made it through! She finally had her transplant on April 6th, 2016. This coming April 2021 will be 5 years post-transplant, which they say is the marker where you’re considered officially cured, YAY!
From the second egg retrieval, Nicole & Ethan were blessed to get 5 more embryos. They started IVF cycles in August 2019 and 6 months later tried a transfer. It didn’t take, and they were told the chances are slim to none that this will work. This really hit home and made them realize they had to start thinking about a surrogate, as they only have 5 embryos left. Nicole & Ethan know these children are meant to be brought into this world, but unfortunately, it can’t be through Nicole.
Since her transplant, Nicole has had obstacles with graft versus host disease, which have kept her on immune suppressants. So she’s unable to work in her previous profession as a dental hygienist due to her suppressed immune system. On top of all the medical treatments and IVF procedures, budgeting for a surrogate was not in their plan. They thought about adoption, but simply feel they can’t give up on everything they’ve gone through to have these embryos and then not use them. With them, they have their own children already; they just need help to get them here!
They are an amazing, loving couple with a stable home that are hoping for the opportunity to finally start the family they had hoped for 5 years ago. It’s not easy asking for money and support but it’s definitely for a good cause! The overall costs of surrogacy are between $120-150k, which is astounding and not an easy feat for even those living comfortably. Despite this obstacle they are determined to bring these kids into this world and know that through the generosity of others their dream of being parents will be realized! The funds raised would be going toward:Agency fees: $25,000
Legal fees: $12,750
Background checks: $5,250
Insurance: $25,500
Surrogate expenses: $54,750
Possible miscellaneous: $15,000-$20,000
They will have to pay for the agency and legal fees as soon as they have found their surrogate, which will be very soon. The surrogacy agency has said to plan on spending $150k during this process. They plan on trying to raise half and pay the other half with their savings and credit lines, hoping not to get too far into debt before bringing the babies into the world! I understand that giving financially is not an option for everyone. So prayers, continued encouragement and support are greatly needed. If you’re able, sharing this post will help as well! I’m truly grateful for any and all help/donations. By fulfilling this goal, I hope we can help them focus on being able to create the family they dream of! Thank you!
Organizer and beneficiary
Lindsey East
Organizer
Santa Barbara, CA
Ethan East
Beneficiary