Help Rachael and Alex Build Their Family!

Hello Everyone -

 

I want to share the story of my amazing sister-in-law Rachael and brother-in-law Alex with you!

 

Alex and Rachael met in 2012 while they were both attending college at Grand Valley State University. After dating for four years, Alex popped the question on December 3rd, 2016 and the happy couple got married on February 3rd, 2018. They were both looking forward to traveling and starting a family of their own.

 

 

However, in the fall of 2018, Rachael went to an annual checkup at her primary care doctor's office and mentioned a hard lump she had felt in her right breast. She decided to have a biopsy done and on November 14th, 2018, learned that she had breast cancer; just 9 months after their wedding at the age of 26. Their travel plans and funds immediately fell way to health insurance deductibles and medical bills.

 

Rachael was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma and treatment began quickly, starting with a bilateral mastectomy on December 21st, 2018. Rachael underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy over the next 5 months, followed by radiation. She completed her treatment in August of 2019. After radiation ended, the pills started. Rachael currently takes two different medications to help starve her body of hormones since that is what feeds her cancer.

 

 

 

Anxious to move forward, Rachael and Alex began discussions with her medical team about starting a family. After many changes and three oncologists later, it was decided that the risk of Rachael going off of her medication to get pregnant before the recommended total 5-10 years was significant. Thankfully, building a family was so important to Rachael and Alex that they did an egg retrieval in January of 2019 before starting chemotherapy. They were able to get 6 embryos, yay! Fast forward to 2022 - after careful consideration of their options, Rachael and Alex decided to move forward with a surrogate to help them start their family.

 

They have been fortunate to find a surrogate. However, they have since discovered that this too is a challenge, particularly in the state of Michigan. Michigan law currently prohibits paid surrogacy and also states that all surrogacy contracts are unenforceable. These outdated laws complicate the surrogacy process significantly and can require them to have to adopt their own biological child if they are unable to find a judge to sign a Pre-Birth Order. In typical Rachael and Alex fashion, they immediately decided to take action and joined up with the Michigan Fertility Alliance to spread awareness and promote surrogacy law change. They were interviewed by the local news too! You can check it out here:

 

https://www.woodtv.com/news/grand-rapids/fighting-for-surrogacy-in-mi-couples-share-their-infertility-stories/?fbclid=IwAR1SLYFHLWt4VxV8s8Zf2JjFjCrISww5bXzVVTlA5HGC4tTImXkSak-WtOw

 

Alex and Rachael have been through more in their almost 4 years of marriage then some people experience in a lifetime; yet they haven't let any of this bring them down or stop them from pursuing their dreams of having a family. While there are undoubtedly difficult days, they always remain positive. They both help others in their professional careers - Rachael as a Social Worker at a nursing home and Alex as a Speech Therapist at a local school. And if that isn't enough, they continue helping others in their personal lives. They have both participated for the past 3 years in the Annual Westside Walk for Gilda's Club of Grand Rapids -a local non-profit agency that provides free cancer and grief support. To date Rachael and her team have raised over $20,000 and were the top fundraising team the past two years in a row. Then, in 2019, inspired by a fellow support group member at Gilda's Club, Alex decided to join the Be the Match bone marrow registry. Alex received a call in September of 2021 that he was a match for a 26-year-old female being treated for Leukemia. In November of 2021 Alex and Rachael flew to Washington D.C. where Alex was able to donate his bone marrow to help save this woman's life.

 

 

 

 

Cancer, Infertility and Surrogacy come with an expensive price tag emotionally, physically, and financially. My hope in creating this Go Fund Me is that we can help take some of the financial burden off of Alex and Rachael and help them with the cost of ongoing medical bills, infertility treatments, and the costs of surrogacy. Rachael and Alex are truly two of the best people I've ever known. They do so much to help others and their community and it's time for us to help them! Please consider donating - no amount is too small. We know that times are hard for so many right now. If you can't contribute financially, please consider supporting Alex and Rachael with your positive thoughts, prayers and encouragement throughout this journey they are on. Thank you for your support and generosity!

 

 

"We rise by lifting others" - Robert Ingersoll

 

"There's nothing more calming in difficult moments than knowing there's someone fighting with you" - Mother Theresa