Help the Mazzei's become parents
Donation protected
It shouldn't be this hard to start a family...
My wife Deanna and I have been together 10 years, married for 6. As many of you know, for the past 18 months, we've been undergoing fertility treatments and IUI rounds with no success.
As a same-sex couple in our 30's, there's no scenario in regards to starting a family that doesn't require planning ahead. My wife has always wanted to bear a child, therefore the plan was to begin starting fertility treatments after she graduated with her master's degree in 2018. Getting her degree, passing her boards, getting situated with a new position at her work, and then starting the process of the starting our family was how we mapped it out.
However - we had no idea the hurdles we'd be jumping through, the emotional and physical toll, and the overwhelming expense that would amount just to try and start a family.
My wife discovered that through fertility testing her chances of conceiving were already lower than average due to her age and low egg count. The fertility clinic recommended that we try a few rounds of IUI first before exploring other options.
Each IUI treatment at the clinic is $1,500 + the cost of the donor sample which is another $1,200 per specimen plus shipping. In addition, there are supplements, medicines and injections that are an additional cost associated with each round of treatment.
If 2020 wasn't already one of the hardest years for all of us, it was compounded for us due to these repeat IUI failures. August and September were particularly difficult for us as we lost our cat of 13 years due to a brain tumor. We spent time and financial resources trying to diagnose his illness ultimately discovering there was nothing that could be done and had to put him down. We took a break and tried our 4th IUI in October which in turn was an unsuccessful result.
So here we are at the next step in our journey. The fertility doctor has recommended no further IUI rounds, and instead, trying IVC (INVOcell). This is like a mini-IVF with the difference being that a small device is used to incubate the embryo inside the uterus vs. it being done in the lab with IVF. The doctor has also indicated a significant increase in the chance for success going this route (up to 50%).
While this option is slightly less expensive than a full blown IVF cycle, it's still a major investment for us after draining all of our resources this year with IUI. And with each month that passes by, the chances of success diminish even more for my wife, not to mention more debt, more medicine, more needles, more tears, more anger, anxiety, and doubt than before.
We are here today to do something that does not come naturally to either of us and that we never thought we would have to do. Today, we are asking for your help. At this point, we have exhausted every single financial resource we have available to us at this time. We both work 2 jobs and have invested over $10,500 alone in JUST IUI, and of course insurance does not cover any of it because it is considered elective. We have also switched fertility clinics to try and save on cost, however, none in our area offer any payment plan options for this next round. To move forward with the INVOcell round, it all has to be paid upfront at the time of the procedure ($5k) + an increase in cost for medicine ($4k), anesthesia for the egg retrieval ($500), and another donor sample and shipment ($1,500), coming to roughly $11,000.
We know there are SO many people who have been down this road and never asked for a dime. And we know this year has been so difficult for so many. due to COVID. If there was a way for us to continue without help, that’s exactly what we would do. But we are racing a biological clock and need to move forward with IVC as soon as possible because every month that goes by reduces our chances of success.
Today, we are swallowing our pride for the sake of the mere possibility of having a child and starting our family and are desperately asking for your financial support. We both want to be parents more than ANYTHING in this world and know we can provide a child an amazing life full of unconditional love.
People say it takes a village, and today we are calling on ours. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers, support, encouragement & donations. Deanna and I will ALWAYS be eternally grateful, no matter what the outcome may be.
-Deanna & Deni Mazzei
My wife Deanna and I have been together 10 years, married for 6. As many of you know, for the past 18 months, we've been undergoing fertility treatments and IUI rounds with no success.
As a same-sex couple in our 30's, there's no scenario in regards to starting a family that doesn't require planning ahead. My wife has always wanted to bear a child, therefore the plan was to begin starting fertility treatments after she graduated with her master's degree in 2018. Getting her degree, passing her boards, getting situated with a new position at her work, and then starting the process of the starting our family was how we mapped it out.
However - we had no idea the hurdles we'd be jumping through, the emotional and physical toll, and the overwhelming expense that would amount just to try and start a family.
My wife discovered that through fertility testing her chances of conceiving were already lower than average due to her age and low egg count. The fertility clinic recommended that we try a few rounds of IUI first before exploring other options.
Each IUI treatment at the clinic is $1,500 + the cost of the donor sample which is another $1,200 per specimen plus shipping. In addition, there are supplements, medicines and injections that are an additional cost associated with each round of treatment.
If 2020 wasn't already one of the hardest years for all of us, it was compounded for us due to these repeat IUI failures. August and September were particularly difficult for us as we lost our cat of 13 years due to a brain tumor. We spent time and financial resources trying to diagnose his illness ultimately discovering there was nothing that could be done and had to put him down. We took a break and tried our 4th IUI in October which in turn was an unsuccessful result.
So here we are at the next step in our journey. The fertility doctor has recommended no further IUI rounds, and instead, trying IVC (INVOcell). This is like a mini-IVF with the difference being that a small device is used to incubate the embryo inside the uterus vs. it being done in the lab with IVF. The doctor has also indicated a significant increase in the chance for success going this route (up to 50%).
While this option is slightly less expensive than a full blown IVF cycle, it's still a major investment for us after draining all of our resources this year with IUI. And with each month that passes by, the chances of success diminish even more for my wife, not to mention more debt, more medicine, more needles, more tears, more anger, anxiety, and doubt than before.
We are here today to do something that does not come naturally to either of us and that we never thought we would have to do. Today, we are asking for your help. At this point, we have exhausted every single financial resource we have available to us at this time. We both work 2 jobs and have invested over $10,500 alone in JUST IUI, and of course insurance does not cover any of it because it is considered elective. We have also switched fertility clinics to try and save on cost, however, none in our area offer any payment plan options for this next round. To move forward with the INVOcell round, it all has to be paid upfront at the time of the procedure ($5k) + an increase in cost for medicine ($4k), anesthesia for the egg retrieval ($500), and another donor sample and shipment ($1,500), coming to roughly $11,000.
We know there are SO many people who have been down this road and never asked for a dime. And we know this year has been so difficult for so many. due to COVID. If there was a way for us to continue without help, that’s exactly what we would do. But we are racing a biological clock and need to move forward with IVC as soon as possible because every month that goes by reduces our chances of success.
Today, we are swallowing our pride for the sake of the mere possibility of having a child and starting our family and are desperately asking for your financial support. We both want to be parents more than ANYTHING in this world and know we can provide a child an amazing life full of unconditional love.
People say it takes a village, and today we are calling on ours. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for your prayers, support, encouragement & donations. Deanna and I will ALWAYS be eternally grateful, no matter what the outcome may be.
-Deanna & Deni Mazzei
Organizer
Deni Mazzei
Organizer
San Antonio, TX
