Please Help us build a family!

Hi,

My name is Veronica and I would like to tell my story.

My husband and I have been together for more than 15 years. I have a condition that is known as PCOS so I knew I was having trouble conceiving. We had talked and dreamed about our children since our first year of dating.

Soon after we were married, I finally decided to go to a fertility doctor. That’s where our journey of love, loss, and hope begins.

In early January of this year, 2021, I had my first exams with my fertility doctor, Dr. Kavoussi. He was excited that I produced 3x the eggs of most women my age! He explained that I had many polyps in my uterus due to my PCOS and I would need to have a surgical procedure called a D&C, Dilation & Curettage, to scrape the lining of my uterus. After waking up from surgery, my Doctor explained to me that he had smoothed out my uterus and it looked beautiful for a baby. He mentioned that I had tons of polyps piled up on each other and he lost count at 50. He had also noticed that one polyp at the very top of the pile seemed abnormal so he sent it out for testing but that everything looked great.

We were so hopeful and excited!

Two weeks later I get a call from my doctor referring me to my oncologist, Dr. Kamath. The polyp results came back positive for cancer. I spent all of February getting MRI’s, CT scans, bloodwork, and X-Rays while healing from the D&C.

Soon after in early March, my oncologist gives me the news. I have Stage 3 Endometrial cancer and a cyst on my left ovary. She told me she would like to schedule a full hysterectomy as soon as possible and she apologized as she told me I would never be able to bear children of my own. Our world turned upside down after the heartbreaking news. I went home down but not out. I started researching my condition, determined to find another way. My oncologist decided to send my polyp results to a specialist and she began communication with my fertility doctor. These incredibly brilliant doctors saw my determination and started working together with me.

In April, my oncologist stated that she would try to remove the cyst laparoscopically and also do another D&C. I was admitted into the hospital at 6am. I was ready. When I woke up from the anesthesia I was taken to a hospital room where I found my husband, Gilbert, and my mother waiting for me. I knew from the sadness in their eyes that something was wrong.

The cyst was full of cancerous masses and she had to do an emergency removal of my left ovary. Although I had just had an intense surgical procedure I felt numb. Gilbert and my mom consoled me as much as they could as I cried myself to sleep.

I had ovarian AND endometrial cancer.

In May my results from the specialist had come back and that’s when I was told it was Stage 2 and not Stage 3. My doctors went into action and started creating a plan. My oncologist had special meetings multiple times with the medical board including doctors from John Hopkins due to my rare and unusual case. There was a 1% chance for the average person to have what I had. The doctors from the board decided I had about a three week gap in between healing from the previous surgery to needing a full hysterectomy and approved me for IVF.

I would only have one chance for IVF before my scheduled hysterectomy.

Late May and early June consisted of daily injections into my belly, something I could not have done without my loving & supportive husband, daily blood work/labs, and daily ultrasounds. My one ovary was filling beautifully with more than 10 eggs and were finally ready to be fertilized. In late June I went under anesthesia again and had my egg removal procedure to be fertilized with my husbands donation. It would take three weeks to find out the results and by then my next surgery would be up so Gilbert and I were so nervous and scared knowing we only had this one chance.

A day before my scheduled hysterectomy we received a phone call.

We have two healthy embryos. Two chances for having children with our eyes, our smile, our humor, our strength. We finally broke down and cried out of happiness, out of hope, and out of relief.

I went on to have my full laparoscopic hysterectomy in July, counting down with the anesthesiologist, I went to sleep thinking about our future children.

A month after my hysterectomy, I am now on my 5th month of chemotherapy and almost done, God willing.

It has been a long journey filled with so many emotions and physical pain. As well as piling hospital bills and the worry of surrogacy costs. We have depleted ourselves financially due to all the surgeries, procedures, and IVF costs.

I am hoping to fundraise for the costs of our surrogacy planned for early-mid 2022 and my final cancer treatment costs. With the legal fees and agency fees the cost of having a surrogate is over $60,000. Not to mention we still owe the fertility program $5,000 due by the end of February.

We want to start our family so badly. We have gone through so much and nothing would make us happier than seeing our children come into this world. They are what keep me going through my chemo treatments, the hair loss, the never-ending pain, but I keep going for them. We both keep going for them, our future children.

I want to thank everyone for reading and learning our story. I hope you have it in your heart to donate to our cause. I can assure you we will be the most loving parents we can possibly be. With everything that has happened we are ready to nurture and share our love with our children. We want to give them everything! We plan on traveling and showing them the world as well as educating them, and teaching them to be kind in this world.

Anything would help and from the bottom of our hearts we truly will appreciate every donation no matter how small.

Thank you again.

Sincerely,

The Miro’s