Hope for Baby Rivera

Hi,
 
We are Sherisa and Will. We first met back in November 1999 while we were in 8th grade. Looking back, neither of us would have guessed that we’d become Husband and Wife in July 2014. In October 2015, we intentionally set out to become parents. We both were overjoyed to find out that we were pregnant, but sadly in December 2015 at our first ultrasound, we were informed that I had unknowingly experienced a “Missed Miscarriage” and our baby (later named Ruby) had no heartbeat. Since that dreadful day we have been pregnant 5 times with no living children to show for it yet.
 
Below is a summary of how Recurrent Pregnancy Loss (RPL) and unexplained (in)fertility has impacted our lives: 
 
· 3 years of being told that we’re young, healthy, and “miscarriages are common”

· 2+ years of intense/obsessive researching; as a mother I couldn’t settle for an “unexplained” diagnosis

· 4 OB’s, 5 Reproductive Specialists, 3 Urologist, 1 Hematologist, 3 Acupuncturist, 2 Chiropractors, 1 Reproductive and Molecular Biologist
 
· 1 Saline Infusion Sonohysterogram (SHG)

· 1 Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) 

· 1 Hysteroscopy with endometrial biopsy

· 3 semen analysis’

· Too many dollars, ultrasounds, and appointments to count

· Anxiety, depression, symptoms of CPTSD, chronic fatigue and muscle tension

· Tons of vitamins, supplements, blood draws, and genetic and hormone testing
     
· We have worked with doctors in Connecticut, New York, Illinois, Greece, California, and Texas
 
All of these appointments, consultations, tears, and trauma have led us to where we are now; deciding that our next step of faith will be to surrender to the possibility of IVF. Contrary to the popular belief that IVF is only for couples that aren’t able to conceive, we need help staying pregnant; specifically to full term. At this point, multiple specialists are in agreement that IVF with PGT-A testing is the best option available to us at this time.
 
“With PGT-A, only those embryos that are chromosomally normal, or euploid, are chosen for transfer, which has been proven to significantly improve the chances of pregnancy and a live birth. Transferring euploid embryos also reduces the risk of miscarriage and can help reveal if chromosomal abnormalities are a contributing factor in a couple’s inability to conceive.”

PGT-A benefits for:

· Women or couples with unexplained infertility

· Women who have had recurrent miscarriages

· Women who have had a previous abnormal pregnancy or a child with a genetic condition
 
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss is all consuming and extremely isolating; 1% of women are believed to experience 2 or more consecutive pregnancy losses. While this has been the most painful journey of our marriage, we have also seen how God has helped transform our pain and isolation into passion to support other couples that are struggling to stay pregnant while also grieving pregnancy loss through Fertility in Colour www.fertilityincolour.com.
 
With all of the medical services we’ve endured this year, we’ve met our insurance deductible; and while this has already helped with some of the upfront costs, IVF is still projected to cost us an additional $15,000. The process will begin in December and carry through several months. Financial obligation begins soon, and we are praying for miraculous provision as early as December. Thank you for your continued support as we continue to walk by faith. We humbly ask for you to join us in this next chapter of our family building story by helping us raise funds to support IVF. We are believing in hope that God will use this to grow our family.


Thank you,

Sherisa & Will Rivera II